101 Freeway ReopensFollowing Police Chase Shooting

ENCINO, CA — The eastbound side of the Ventura (101) Freeway was shut down for hours in the Encino area following reports of a shooting during a police pursuit Monday afternoon. The pursuit suspect, believed to be armed, had barricaded himself in a Sherman Oaks home before eventually surrendering.

It began when officers attempted to pull over the speeding suspect on the eastbound Ventura (101) Freeway at Winnetka Avenue at 12:57 p.m.. The driver failed to yield, and a wild chase ensued according to Officer Jose Barrios of the California Highway Patrol.

The suspect crashed twice during the brief chase, at least once into another vehicle, then at about 1:10 p.m. he barricaded himself inside a home in the 4000 block of Vesper Avenue, Barrios said.
At 3 p.m., the suspect was still holed-up inside the home, and Barrios said there were reports of residents running out of the home, indicating that the suspect might not live there. At about 4:50 p.m., the suspect surrendered and was taken into custody.

All eastbound lanes of the freeway were closed at Hayvenhurst Avenue as officers investigated reports of shots fired by the suspect during the chase. The lanes were reopened as of 3:22 p.m., but traffic was still backed up.

City News Service contributed to this report.

Correction: An earlier version of this report mischaracterized the shooting due to a reporting error.