COMPTON - - An attempted murder suspect led law enforcement personnel on a chase from Compton to northeast Orange County today, traveling mostly at slow speeds and at times clipping other vehicles while weaving through traffic.
The chase began in Compton, according to the watch commander at the Los Angeles County sheriff's Century Station.
It started about 6:20 p.m. and continued east on the Artesia (91) Freeway until the Mercedes-Benz's tires were flattened by spike strips, according to broadcast reports.
The suspect, who was also suspected of brandishing a weapon, continued driving -- with the sleek black vehicle scraping along k-rails and at least one of its wheels seized and sent up sparks from its bare rim, until about 7:30 p.m. -- when it came to a smoking halt in the Santa Ana Canyon area near the Riverside County border.
Officers with guns drawn were positioned a short distance away, but no movement was apparent inside the vehicle for hours.
Traffic on both sides of the freeway was halted during the standoff.
SWAT teams at the scene eventually deployed gas and a K9 unit made contact with the suspect before he was apprehended.
