Shooting Shuts Down 210 Freeway, Leads To Major Traffic Backups

LOS ANGELES, CA — The westbound 210 Freeway was completely shut down in the San Fernando Valley Tuesday afternoon due to police activity.

All lanes of the westbound freeway remained shut down at Polk Street in Sylmar as of around 3 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

Traffic was being diverted to the 118 Freeway.

Additionally, the eastbound 118 Freeway ramp to the westbound 210 Freeway were shut down.

Traffic was at a standstill on the westbound freeway at around 4 p.m. There were also major backups on nearby routes, including the 5 Freeway, according to a Sigalert.

⚠️TRAFFIC ADVISORY⚠️
ALL LANES CLOSED on WB I-210 at Polk St due to police investigation 5/5. Duration UNKNOWN as of 2 PM. Expect delays. Find alternate routes. Please avoid the area. Check https://t.co/cxZ0jW7S5n for current closures and delays https://t.co/LffC8zoj5Y pic.twitter.com/uKOUepRrYN

— Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) May 5, 2026

The closure came after a shooting involving a police officer occurred in the area, NBC Los Angeles reported.

The first call related to the incident was made at around 12:40 p.m. related to a wanted person on the 14400 block of Bledsoe Street, KTLA reported.

KTLA reported that a person may have been on the freeway with a gun at some point. One person was transported to a local hospital.

More than a dozen LAPD patrol vehicles were stopped on the freeway near the Bledsoe Street overpass, under which a white pickup and big rig were stopped, according to NBC Los Angeles.

The exact nature of the incident that preceded the freeway shutdown remains unclear.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.