A man allegedly armed with a chainsaw in the back of a pickup prompted a standoff with Los Angeles police Tuesday in the Mission Hills area, forcing the closure of a major intersection.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers responded to the intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and San Fernando Mission Road around 3:20 p.m. regarding a man armed with a chainsaw.
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It was unclear what motivated the man to arm himself with the chainsaw, or to confine himself in the back of the pickup. He moved around occasionally during the standoff and at one point stood up with a pink laundry basket over his head.
"LAPD SWAT is responding to Mission Area for an active (assault with a deadly weapon) incident involving an uncooperative male in his 40s armed with a chainsaw near San Fernando Mission Road and North Sepulveda Boulevard," according to an LAPD statement. "Traffic on Sepulveda Boulevard is shut down. Please avoid the area."
After nearly three hours, officers were able to convince the man to leave the truck and surrender, bringing the standoff to an end with no further incident.
The suspect was taken from the scene on a gurney due to injuries sustained by less-than-lethal rounds shot by officers earlier in the incident.
No word on possible charges at this time.
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