RSSTwenty years ago this summer, countless Americans turned on their television sets and watched the O.J. Simpson police chase unfold in L.A. On June 10th of this year, another spectacle gave Angelenos something to observe as a man wielding an assault rifle led police on a high-speed chase.
The incident, which put a few schools on lockdown, began when police tried to serve a 41-year-old Pacoima man a warrant. He had apparently been making troubling threats against a woman, and a District Attorney filed a complaint against the individual. While he initially made an appearance in Boyle Heights, presumably to meet police, he later fled from the police in his Nissan Altima. The pursuit traversed downtown L.A., the San Fernando Valley, and Pacoima before finally ending in North Hollywood.
Prior to his eventual surrender to police, the man left his vehicle with the weapon in tow. Cameras caught the man standing on the roof of a house at one point, also with his assault rifle. He then barricaded himself inside a home but police were able to force an exit via tear gas. The man, unarmed at that time, was quickly surrounded by several SWAT team members.
While the chase concluded without any injuries or loss of life, it still spooked some students and parents. One young man spotted helicopters, police cars and the SWAT team in his neighborhood, while a local mother went to pick up her 16-year-old from school. Police escorted students from Oakwood School out into a parking lot where they met their parents.
The 41-year-old man at the center of the incident is expected to be charged with several crimes. The alleged offenses are likely to include leading police on a chase as well as evading the police. In addition, it is probable the man will be charged with assault with a deadly weapon – maybe even attempted homicide – if it can be demonstrated he fired at police. Immediately after the incident, police were still unsure if the man had actually fired his weapon at them or not. Authorities did search for casings to see if there was evidence of shooting during the chase.
In this case, the man is a convicted felon, which can greatly impact any future criminal proceedings against him. Further compounding matters is the fact that the chase was covered extensively in local media, potentially making it a high-profile matter for authorities.
If you have been charged with any violent crime in Los Angeles, including armed robbery, assault, battery, murder, or manslaughter, it is necessary to have an experienced California criminal defense attorney on your side. Contact the Law Offices of Jonathan I. Kelman today at 310.286.1218 for a free initial consultation.