All northbound lanes of the 405 Freeway in Playa Vista were shut down Friday morning after a police chase ended in the shooting death of a man police described as a robbery suspect. The closure was expected to last for several hours, tying up traffic on one of Los Angeles’ busiest commuter routes.
Police said the sequence began around 4:15 a.m. with a robbery call on the 5800 block of West Manchester Avenue. A man allegedly threatened to shoot a Yellow Cab driver, and in a separate account tied to the same time and area, a person at a 7-Eleven near Manchester Avenue and Airport Boulevard was allegedly assaulted with a gun and had glasses stolen. The victim called 911 and gave police the suspect’s location.
Officers found the suspect in a black Kia Soul, but he refused commands and took off, leading police onto the northbound 405. Authorities said the suspect then opened fire, apparently toward officers, before stopping in the Playa Vista area, stepping out of the car and refusing to drop a handgun. Officers shot him, rendered aid and took him to a hospital, where he later died. No officers were hurt, and the handgun was taken into police custody.
By just before 5:30 a.m., all northbound lanes were closed and traffic was being diverted off at Howard Hughes Parkway. Several northbound on-ramps, including Sepulveda and La Tijera boulevards, remained shut as the California Highway Patrol said the freeway would stay closed for six to eight hours.
The account leaves one central gap: what happened in the moments before the chase and what prompted the gunfire exchange remains under investigation. For drivers headed north through Playa Vista, the immediate problem was simpler and more concrete — the 405 was closed, and it was not reopening quickly.
