A Los Angeles police pursuit involving a dirt bike occurred on Wednesday evening, and it somehow kept getting stranger after the initial report. What started as a routine pursuit quickly turned into something far more bizarre.
According to a report by KTLA, the pursuit lasted nearly 40 minutes, stretching along the roads and even through neighborhoods of Los Angeles. The chase involved plenty of moving parts and was becoming a real problem.
A dirt bike police pursuit isn’t something you hear or see often. Dirt bikes don’t have much fuel to last long in a chase like this. Which made the length of this one all the more surprising.
Police were eventually able to capture the suspect, but the driver’s antics and the length of the chase are still something to behold. Here’s how it all happened and the absurdity of the situation.
The Chase Starts Near Dodger Stadium
According to reports, the suspect was wanted on suspicion of wielding a firearm while riding in public when police began pursuing him near Dodger Stadium.
He quickly made it clear that he had no intention of pulling over. During the chase, the rider was seen texting and making phone calls while speeding through Los Angeles. He also ran multiple red lights as police continued following him.
Then he apparently realized he was running low on fuel, the first of several moments that made this pursuit considerably more bizarre than the average police chase.
Going Viral For all the Wrong Reasons
@abc7la (8/19/26) A dirt bike rider led police on a chaotic chase, weaving through parks and making unusual pit stops before the pursuit ended with a dramatic arrest. At one point, he even filled his dirt bike with gas that was left in the middle of a park for him. Here are the highlights. Read more at the link. #policechase #dirtbike ♬ original sound – ABC7LA
The rider pulled into a gas station to refuel, even getting help during the rushed process. A comment said: “He got some real homies.” Another added: “What? An assist??”
The bizarre situation went viral on TikTok, one of the craziest police chases out of Los Angeles (this week). Even the reporters seemed entertained. Some comments even wondered if the reporters were rooting for him.
The biker didn’t exactly stick around to finish the job. He quickly took off with the gas pump still attached to the bike, leaving the gas station as soon as the officers arrived.
Apparently deciding that a dangling gas pump was less of a problem than the police behind him, he continued fleeing. The chase eventually moved into West Rancho Dominguez, where the suspect drove onto the field of a local park. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the park wasn’t empty.
A Soccer Game Becomes Part of the Chase
The park was filled with children playing soccer when a dirt bike sped onto the field. Bystanders were forced to move out of the way as the suspect drove through the busy area, with people running to avoid being hit.
The rider eventually picked up what appeared to be a gallon container of fuel that had been left for him by an accomplice. He poured roughly half of the container into his gas tank before taking off again. At this point, the pursuit had included a suspected firearm, a gas station, and a soccer field. There was still more to come.
The Driver Ditched the Bike and Started Running on Foot
The dirt bike eventually appeared to run out of fuel again. The suspect pulled over near 111th Place in Inglewood and abandoned the motorcycle before taking off on foot.
He hopped over walls and fences while officers searched for him, apparently hoping that enough property lines would eventually separate him from the police. They did not.
After running through the neighborhood, the suspect decided that hiding was a better strategy than continuing to run. So he climbed into a trash can. Officers continued searching the area before eventually locating him. The suspect also appeared to have suffered an injury during the foot chase.
Police approached with their guns drawn and ordered him out of the trash can with his hands up. And it was at this time that the dirt bike driver actually listened.
The suspect was taken into custody without further incident, bringing an end to a pursuit that started near Dodger Stadium and somehow ended with a man hiding inside a trash can. There are plenty of ways to get around Los Angeles. This was not one of them, and driving a dirt bike with an alleged firearm is not the smartest way to try.