SigAlert: Police Chase Shooting Shuts Down 405 Freeway For Hours

LOS ANGELES, CA — Police shot a robbery suspect in Los Angeles Friday morning at the end of a chase on the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway in Westchester, prompting a full closure of the freeway and causing major traffic backups during the morning commute.

Officers responded at about 4:15 a.m. to a report of a robbery in the 5800 block of Manchester Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police said the suspect fled, leading officers on a chase that continued onto the northbound 405 Freeway.

The pursuit ended near Howard Hughes Parkway, where the suspect — who had reportedly brandished a gun during the robbery inside a convenience store — stopped and was shot by police, according to the California Highway Patrol.

An LAPD spokesman said additional details, including the suspect's condition and the circumstances of the shooting, were not immediately available.

Television news footage showed officers behind ballistic shields approaching a person lying on the ground behind a dark-colored Kia. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported transporting one person from the scene to a hospital, but did not release the person's age, gender or condition.

As the investigation continued, all northbound lanes of the 405 remained closed at Howard Hughes Parkway, with traffic diverted off the freeway. Caltrans reported that the backup stretched beyond the Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway to Rosecrans Avenue.

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The California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert for the closure of all northbound lanes. The closures is estimated to last into the afternoon. Traffic is being diverted off the freeway at Howard Hughes Parkway.

City News Service contributed to this report.