Southern California man threatening to light himself on fire surrenders
A man reportedly armed with a chainsaw who was threatening to light himself on fire surrendered after nearly three hours of keeping police at bay in the parking lot of a Mission Hills strip mall Tuesday.
Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department responded to calls of an assault with a deadly weapon suspect at around 3:20 p.m. in a strip mall located at the intersection of San Fernando Mission and Sepulveda boulevards.
Footage of the standoff captured by Sky5 showed a heavy presence of police with guns drawn just out of the strip mall’s parking lot. The suspect, described by authorities as a man in his 40s, could be seen wearing what appeared to be a brown hat in the back of a white pickup truck parked just outside of a Subway sandwich shop.
While police said the man was armed with a chainsaw, crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department were also been called in after reports that the suspect was threatening to light himself on fire.
Authorities worked to evacuate people inside nearby businesses who had been sheltering in place.
At approximately 4:50 p.m., the suspect stood in the back of the bed of the truck and raised his hands, holding what police called a lighter in one hand and a knife in the other. Just 10 minutes later, authorities approached the man’s vehicle with an armored SWAT truck, blocking his exit from the parking lot.
L.A. police on the scene of a Mission Hills standoff with a man reportedly armed with a chainsaw. (KTLA) L.A. police on the scene of a Mission Hills standoff with a man reportedly armed with a chainsaw. (KTLA) L.A. police on the scene of a Mission Hills standoff with a man reportedly armed with a chainsaw. (KTLA) L.A. police on the scene of a Mission Hills standoff with a man reportedly armed with a chainsaw. (KTLA) A man reportedly armed with a chainsaw who was threatening to light himself on fire seen surrendering in Mission Hills after an hours-long standoff with police on Mar. 12, 2024. (KTLA)
As the standoff continued, the suspect could be seen speaking to and gesturing toward officers.
A second armored SWAT truck was brought in at around 5:22 p.m., pinning the suspect’s vehicle in from the other side, while a third was positioned on Sepulevada Boulevard just outside the parking lot.
Just after 6 p.m., the man climbed out of the back of the truck and surrendered to authorities. Video showed the suspect being put on a stretcher. It is unclear if the man was hurt or suffering any medical issues.
No other injuries were reported.
San Fernando Mission Road at Sepulveda Boulevard was blocked to traffic while authorities cleared the scene.
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