Suspect dead, 101 Freeway closed in both directions in Calabasas following pursuit, officer-involved shooting
The 101 Freeway was closed in both directions for hours Saturday after a reportedly armed man led officers on a pursuit before crashing and then engaging officers in a standoff where he was ultimately shot and killed, authorities said.
Southbound lanes of the 101 Freeway were shut down at Lost Hills Road as authorities investigated the scene after the shooting, which occurred sometime after 12 p.m., Sgt. Eric Buschow of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said.
The incident started about 10:30 a.m. in Camarillo, where officers responded to a domestic violence incident. When officers arrived, they confirmed a felony battery had occurred and saw the victim was injured, Buschow said.
TRAFFIC COLLISION | FS125 #Calabasas | SB 101 North of Las Virgenes Rd | UPDATE: An officer involved shooting has occurred. No injuries to officers. 1 suspect pronounced dead at scene. COPT15 released. #HillsIC #LACoFD
— LACoFD Incident Alerts (@lacfd) January 12, 2019
When they attempted to contact the suspect, he fled in a stolen vehicle, leading Ventura County officers and California Highway Patrol officers on a chase that made its way through Oxnard and the South Coast area along Pacific Coast Highway before the suspect entered the southbound 101 Freeway, Buschow said.
“Eventually the pursuit was handed off to the California Highway Patrol, and they pursued the suspect vehicle southbound to Las Virgenes Road, where he crashed into the guard rail,” Buschow said.
The driver did not cooperate with officers’ commands.
“The suspect did not submit to arrest at that point, and during the standoff the CHP requested Ventura County officers to respond to the end of the pursuit,” Buschow said. “The reason they do that is because we were the agency investigating the crimes he was responsible for (Saturday).”
Video from the scene showed the suspect pacing back and forth on the driver’s side of the vehicle, which was facing away from where officers were located.
At some point during the half-hour standoff, the officer-involved shooting occurred, and the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers with both agencies were involved, Buschow said.
It wasn’t immediately known if the suspect was armed or fired at officers, Buschow said. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau responded to take the lead on the shooting investigation.
The standoff and shooting prompted the closure of both sides of the 101 Freeway. The northbound lanes were fully reopened about 2:30 p.m.
The southbound lanes were still closed as of 5:30 p.m. while authorities continued their investigation.
The suspect was a parolee and was also considered armed and dangerous in a warrant issued for his arrest out of another state, Buschow said.
Further details about the suspect or the warrant were not immediately available.
11:45 AM: For our users of the US 101, it’s CLOSED in both directions-pursuit termination of a reportedly armed & dangerous individual. US 101 traffic backing up in both directions. Off-ramps and surface streets jammed. Avoid the area. @CaltransDist7 @CHPWestValley pic.twitter.com/W9PGTDX6Gx
— CHP Moorpark (@CHPMoorpark) January 12, 2019
01/12/19 Copter3 assisted @camarillovcso @toaksvcso @CHP_Ventura @CHPMoorpark with a pursuit that started in Ventura County and ended when the suspect crashed S/B 101 at Las Virgenes Rd. Expect traffic delays on the north and southbound 101 freeway. pic.twitter.com/9oc3cnNzNH
— VenturaCoAirUnit (@VCAirUnit) January 12, 2019
This story will be updated when more details become available.