LOS ANGELES (TCN) — One person was killed after a man reportedly hijacked a bus early Wednesday morning and drove around the city for about an hour before police managed to stop the vehicle.
On Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 12:45 a.m. the Los Angeles Police Department received calls about an incident involving a bus near Manchester Avenue and Figueroa Street. Officers found the bus, which stopped near Figueroa Street and 117th Street, and they “attempted to communicate with the driver, but the bus pulled away and a pursuit ensued.”
KTLA-TV reports the bus driver managed to turn on an emergency alert that said “Call 911” on the exterior display of the bus.
LAPD said they called in a SWAT team because they had reason to believe the suspect was armed and had hostages on the bus. Police put down spike strips on Alameda Street in Downtown Los Angeles, which managed to stop the bus after an hour of pursuit. Once the bus came to a stop, SWAT members used noise flash devices and boarded the vehicle, where they took the suspect into custody. The bus driver and two passengers were onboard, and one of the passengers had multiple gunshot wounds.
Paramedics transported the injured victim to a local hospital, where they died. The driver and other passenger were reportedly “shaken but uninjured.”
LAPD Deputy Chief Donald Graham reportedly said in a news conference that the suspect allegedly held the bus driver at gunpoint.
Graham said, “Clearly, he was under duress and under the threat of violence.”
Graham commended the driver for being “able to keep his composure.”
According to KTTV-TV, Metro Los Angeles said in a statement, “Metro is grateful for the LAPD’s swift action regarding this morning’s bus hijacking incident and is grateful the operator was unharmed. Metro is providing the operator with the support he needs. This is still an active investigation being led by the LAPD.”
LAPD is investigating the victim’s death as a homicide.
Police did not release the suspect or deceased victim’s names.