Pursuit suspect taken into custody after bizarre chase

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FOX 11) - A man police believe is a local gang member stole an SUV and led police on a wild police pursuit in South L.A. Thursday.

The chase, seen live on FOX 11, started on 55th and Avalon and lasted a half-hour. It involved the suspect in a red KIA Sorrento doing donuts, speeding, stopping on the middle of the freeway and high-fiving random homeless people.

The man rammed into a gold Navigator on Broadway that was trying to turn right on 54th. Police performed three pit maneuvers and finally got him. Dozens of cops surrounded the man.

The suspect got out of the KIA and onto the hood of the police cruiser then climbed onto the ground and surrendered. LAPD officers swarmed him while one cop cuffed him, and another held down his head.

"His aggressive driving put everybody at risk and especially during the afternoon traffic," said LAPD Capt. Rafael Ramirez. "It's incredible what some of these people are thinking and how they're trying to get away when we've got an airship overhead, we've got units and we're going to do everything we can to try and stop them."

"You know I was a little afraid to go out at first," said Molly Diaz who works at a nearby appliance store. "You don't know if they've got guns or whatever. I just stood here and nobody took out a gun or anything but I just saw what happened."

The passenger in the Navigator was injured and transported to the hospital. The suspect is charged with felony evading.