A burglary suspect turned a Friday morning police response into a sprawling, chaotic pursuit across the San Fernando Valley, weaving through freeways, a mall parking structure, and city streets before crashing head-on into a patrol car. It’s the kind of chase that had everyone on their feet.
According to FOX 11 Los Angeles, the pursuit started around 10:15 a.m. PST on Friday in North Hollywood, with the suspect driving a black Honda sedan. From there, the chase stretched across North Hills, Van Nuys, and Granada Hills, giving Southern California drivers a front-row seat to one of the stranger pursuits.
Aerial footage from SkyFOX captured most of it live, and the clip has already picked up thousands of views online. It’s easy to see why, since the chase barely stayed in one place for more than a few minutes at a time.
By the time it wrapped up, the suspect had somehow managed to touch a gas station, a college parking garage, and a freeway, all before the pursuit finally ended in a head-on collision.
The Suspect Stopped for Gas and Got Into It With a Delivery Driver
Mid-chase, the suspect pulled over to fuel up, according to FOX 11. That’s when someone who appeared to be a delivery driver approached the car and got into a confrontation with the driver, although it’s unclear exactly what was said.
Whatever happened, it didn’t end the pursuit. The suspect took off again shortly after, continuing through Valley streets with officers still close behind.
He Drove Through a Mall Parking Garage
At another point, the suspect entered and exited a mall parking garage, weaving through the structure before continuing on surface streets, according to FOX 11. Officers followed the whole way, staying closely behind him the entire time.
The chase eventually looped back toward the freeway system, where things escalated even further.
The Pursuit Ended With a Head-on Crash Into a Patrol Car
The chase came to an end when the suspect made a U-turn and started driving the wrong way in the southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway near Nordhoff Street in North Hills. Aerial footage showed the moment the suspect crashed head-on into a patrol car.
The suspect then abandoned the vehicle, ran across active freeway lanes on foot, and was tackled by officers before being taken into custody. As of Friday afternoon, his identity and charges were not released.
The Comments Had Their Thoughts
Reactions to the arrest were mixed once video of the takedown started circulating. Several commenters focused on how many officers it took to get the suspect cuffed, with one asking why it required so many men to hold down someone so thin.
A few commenters simply thanked officers for their hard work. While another said it was hard not to laugh watching someone clearly out of shape try to run.
After a pursuit that included a parking garage, a gas station standoff, and a head-on crash, it’s maybe not surprising the ending got just as much debate as everything that came before it.