405 Freeway CHP Shooting: Lanes Reopen Near Sepulveda Pass

LOS ANGELES, CA — The California Highway patrol shot a suspect on the San Diego (405) Freeway, prompting a full freeway closure in the Sepulveda Pass during Thursday morning's rush along one of the busiest stretches of freeway in the country. The traffic jam trapped commuters for hours.

According to CHP Officer Jose Barrios, the shooting occurred around 2:50 a.m. on the southbound 405 near Skirball Center Drive. Officers saw a damaged, red Ford Mustang stopped on the right shoulder of the freeway with its airbags deployed, and they stopped to investigate.

When they approached the vehicle, they spotted a man standing nearby, Barrios said. When the man saw the officers, "that's when he reached into the vehicle, pulled out a gun and started shooting at the officers."

The officers returned fire, striking the man, who was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in unknown condition. Barrios said early Thursday afternoon that while the suspect's condition was unknown, he was still alive. The officers were not injured, although Barrios said some rounds struck the officers' patrol car.

Michael Northcott, 37, whose city of residence was not known, was taken to a hospital in unknown condition, the CHP reported. It was unclear what charges he would face, the CHP reported.

It was unknown how many shots were fired, but images from the scene showed dozens of evidence markers on the ground near the Mustang, each likely indicating a spent bullet casing.

The high-occupancy and No. 1 lane reopened around 9 a.m. Thursday on the southbound lanes near Skirball Center Drive, the California Highway Patrol tweeted. All other lanes were blocked. Just one northbound lane had reopened as of 8 a.m., said California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Maldonado.

Traffic was diverted off the freeway at Sepulveda Boulevard. Drivers are being advised to avoid the area, or try alternate routes such as the Ventura (101) Freeway. However, the hours-long closure has backed up rush hour traffic all over the westside.

The result of the closures was a major traffic jam that left motorists trying to make their way from the San Fernando Valley to the Westside scrambling for alternative routes. Those routes, including Sepulveda Boulevard and mountain passes, were quickly overwhelmed with traffic. Some motorists reported being stuck in traffic for hours, unable to find alternate routes.

Los Angeles International Airport officials said FlyAway bus service that carries passengers from Van Nuys to the airport was being delayed by at least 90 minutes.

Officers at one point could be seen walking along all freeway lanes, a standard practice used to search for evidence -- most notably bullet casings -- on the roadway.

City News Service contributed to this report.