Police Chase: Top LA area pursuits of 2023

LOS ANGELES - For many, there is a certain thrill to watching a police chase live on TV. The speed, the danger, the unknown…people are glued to the screen, watching the action unfold. In Southern California, pursuits are a common occurrence, happening multiple times a week… sometimes multiple times in a day.

Here is a list of the wildest and most watched pursuits in Southern California.

No. 1: May 2

The most viewed police chase, with over 6 million views online, ended when a suspect barricaded himself inside a car in front of a home in Bell Gardens. The suspect was allegedly wanted on a no-bail warrant. After a brief chase, the suspect stopped the vehicle in a driveway, triggering a standoff. After 10 minutes, the driver exited the vehicle and was taken into custody.

FULL STORY: Pursuit suspect in custody after brief standoff in Bell Gardens

No. 2: April 7

In the second spot is a wild 2-hour pursuit that involved a puppy. The suspect, who was in a Chevy Avalanche, was wanted for attempted murder and carjacking. He sped through parts of South LA, Inglewood and Westchester. During the chase, the suspect's vehicle hit another car and shortly thereafter, the driver ditched the Chevy truck and got into the back of another vehicle that appeared to be waiting for him. During the chase, someone from inside the vehicle tossed a puppy out of the car. The puppy was placed inside a designer handbag. LAPD officers recovered the puppy and took it to South LA Animal Services. The dramatic pursuit came to an end when the driver and passengers jumped out of the car on a residential street in Carson. The male suspect ran towards a house but soon surrendered; the female suspect was also taken into custody.

FULL STORY: Puppy recovered after being thrown out of moving car

No. 3: April 12

A high-speed pursuit took a dangerous turn when the suspect got out of the vehicle and ran across all lanes of traffic on the 5 freeway in Newhall. After crossing the freeway, the suspect tried to carjack passing vehicles but failed. He was then taken into custody after a short foot chase. At one point during the chase, the driver held his cell phone out of the window. It is unknown if the driver was looking to livestream or if they were planning on getting rid of the phone.

FULL STORY: Suspect ditches car, tries to break into vehicles on 5 Freeway police chase across LA County

No. 4: August 23

In true LA fashion, the pursuit that takes the fourth spot involves a Rolls-Royce Phantom. The suspect reportedly stole the $450,000 vehicle and led authorities on a pursuit through Los Angeles County. According to officials, the chase began in Arcadia before continuing on to the southbound 110 Freeway in the Elysian Park area, then on to Pasadena. The vehicle then entered a parking structure in downtown LA to evade police; that's when SkyFOX lost sight of the vehicle.

No. 5: April 3

It may sound like something out of a movie... in the 5th spot is a wild pursuit involving a stolen patrol car. A woman allegedly stole a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department cruiser then led deputies on a chase from Compton to Orange County. At one point, the driver topped 160 mph. In an industrial yard in Anaheim, deputies used a PIT maneuver to spin the driver around, then pinned the cruiser in with other LASD vehicles. With guns drawn, deputies approached the vehicle, pulled the driver out and took her into custody.

FULL STORY: Female driver in custody after allegedly stealing LASD cruiser

No. 6: June 8

A man took LAPD officers on a wild pursuit in the Harvard Heights neighborhood of Central LA. At one point during the chase, the suspect was seen driving on the sidewalk. The vehicle even sideswiped a mail truck, causing its front tire to either dislodge or flatten. Officers had him cornered but he continued driving. Heavy smoke could be seen coming from the tires. After a successful pit-maneuver, which disabled the vehicle, the suspect was taken into custody.

FULL STORY: Suspect in custody following wild chase in LA

No. 7: July 19

A man was arrested after leading LAPD on a wild and brazen pursuit through the San Fernando Valley and parts of Ventura County. During the chase, the suspect managed to steal three vehicles. He carjacked a vehicle at a Chevron gas station in Porter Ranch then carjacked another van at an ARCO gas station in Woodland Hills. At one point, the suspect narrowly missed an officer who was attempting to deploy a spike strip in the Chatsworth area. The wild chase continued for hours until CHP conducted a successful pit-maneuver and took the man into custody in Thousand Oaks.

FULL STORY: Pursuit suspect carjacks 3 vehicles in high-speed chase through LA, Ventura counties

No. 8: Feb 6

A shooting suspect who led police on a chase through South LA was arrested after being tackled by officers on the side of the 405 Freeway in Ingelwood. During the chase, he got out of a moving vehicle and jumped into another. SkyFOX recorded him driving at speeds up to 90 to 100 mph on surface streets while running through multiple red lights and stop signs. After driving around LAX, the suspect got on the 405 Freeway, fled the vehicle and attempted to carjack a truck but was tackled by officers then taken into custody.

FULL STORY: LAPD officers tackle pursuit suspect on 405 Freeway near LAX

No. 9: March 9

Rounding out the list in the 9th spot is a chase involving a suspected DUI driver who was seen on video smoking nitrate during a standoff. After leading officers on a chase through Compton, the suspect barricaded himself inside the truck… the standoff lasted nearly five hours. During the standoff, the suspect appeared to be inhaling nitrous straight from a tank and vaping an unknown substance. For five hours, officers communicated with the suspect, urging him to surrender, but he refused. Officers tossed a gas container into the cab of the pickup, but the standoff continued. After deploying tear gas, the suspect exited the vehicle and was taken into custody…again five hours after the pursuit started.

FULL STORY: Suspect seen inhaling gas smoked out of vehicle after 5-hour standoff in Compton