By Sarah Roebuck
Police1
LOS ANGELES — A man was arrested after he stole a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power vehicle and led LAPD officers on a pursuit that ended with a standoff, KCBS reports.
According to police, the suspect rammed into several cruisers during the pursuit before he crashed the stolen vehicle. The suspect then barricaded himself inside the vehicle and refused to leave.
Shortly after, a pair of SWAT vehicles reached the location, effectively cornering the LADWP SUV. The officers opened fire on the driver, resulting in numerous bullet holes adorning the windshield and the driver’s side door of the vehicle with no visible tires.
Officers set up a perimeter and avoided approaching the vehicle as the driver was armed with a small-caliber handgun as well as a screwdriver.
As the standoff continued, the man’s erratic movements within the SUV continued. He leaned out of the rear windshield and smeared blood onto the trunk door. The man began to throw objects at SWAT officers and continued behaving erratically, police said.
The standoff extended for an additional hour, during which the driver ascended atop the SUV. He was shirtless, clad only in a pair of pants stained with blood. Not long after, SWAT officers apprehended him, concluding the incident.
LAPD said three officers were injured, including one with injuries that were considered to be serious. One officer was treated at the scene, while two others were taken to the hospital.
The suspect was also taken to the hospital for a gunshot wound to his leg after an officer fired at him.