Authorities detained a suspected intoxicated driver following a pursuit that ended dramatically in the San Fernando Valley Thursday night, officials said.
The driver opened fire on deputies after they began chasing him around 9:30 p.m. in the Antelope Valley, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said. Authorities said they earlier believed the vehicle involved was stolen, but they received updated information that it was not.
The sedan was missing tires and leaving behind a trail of smoke as Sky5 arrived overhead the chase just before 10 p.m. on the 14 Freeway in the Agua Dulce area. Within minutes, the car was in Santa Clarita and merged onto the 5 Freeway.
The black sedan lumbered down the roadway with its hood flipped up, which looked as if it would block the driver’s view.
Law enforcement vehicles could be seen blocking on- and off-ramps to keep the vehicle out of neighborhoods. About a dozen sheriff’s cruisers were behind the driver on the freeway.
As the car began to merge onto the eastbound 210 Freeway in Sylmar around 10:17 p.m., a bare rim began sending sparks cascading behind it.
Soon, the driver pulled over and ran from the vehicle — into 5 Freeway lanes as other cars drove by. At least one passing vehicle appeared to clip the man.
The driver struggled with deputies before being taken into custody. A second person, apparently a passenger in the suspect vehicle, was also detained.
One person was shot during the deputy involved shooting and transported to the hospital, police said.
Authorities did not immediately confirm whether a firearm was recovered.
The northbound and southbound 5 Freeway and transition to the eastbound 210 were shut down as a result, and traffic was quickly piling up, aerial video showed. It was unclear how long the closures would last.
No further details were available.
