A suspect who allegedly made criminal threats then led officers on a chase while driving a small shuttle bus ended up in a standoff with officers in a Costco parking lot in Atwater Village Monday but was eventually taken into custody.
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The short chase began about 11 a.m. in the 800 block of Academy Road, not long after officers got reports of possible criminal threats.
The suspect, who was at the wheel of a bus with writing on the hood that asked for toxicology tests of both the suspect and the vehicle, parked in a stall in a Costco parking lot in the 2900 block of Los Feliz Boulevard, according to police and reports from the scene.
Video from the location showed police staying a safe distance while the suspect could be seen in the doorway of the bus.
Around 1:30 p.m., the suspect surrendered and a bomb squad was called in to make sure the bus was safe.
Officers cleared the lot while the standoff was taking place and a police spokeswoman said it would remain closed for hours.
L.A. police Sgt. Meghan Aguilar told reporters at the scene the suspect appeared to be having a mental health crisis and was coaxed from the bus by a mental health evaluation unit and crisis negotiators.
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