A robbery suspect died after a short pursuit that ended in Playa Vista.
LOS ANGELES, CA — A robbery suspect was fatally shot by Los Angeles police early Friday after a short chase ended on the northbound 405 Freeway near Los Angeles International Airport, shutting down lanes and causing miles of gridlock.
The shooting turned one of Southern California’s busiest freeways into a crime scene during the morning commute. Police said the case began with a reported robbery involving a Yellow Cab driver in Westchester, then moved quickly onto the freeway in Playa Vista. The suspect’s name had not been released by Friday night, and officials said the investigation was still open.
Los Angeles police said officers were called at about 4:15 a.m. to the 5800 block of West Manchester Avenue after a cab driver reported being threatened during an attempted robbery. The driver helped officers identify the suspect, who was in a black Kia Soul, authorities said. The man did not follow commands, police said, and officers began a short pursuit that ended on the northbound 405 near Howard Hughes Parkway. LAPD Capt. Mike Bland said the suspect opened fire during the chase, then stopped, got out of the car and had a handgun.
“The officers gave him direction and commands to drop the handgun, but he refused to comply, and an officer-involved shooting occurred at that time,” Bland said at the scene. Police said officers gave medical aid before the man was taken to a hospital, where he later died. A handgun was recovered at the scene, Bland said. No officers or other people were reported injured. Authorities had not said how many officers fired, how many shots were fired or whether police vehicles were hit during the chase.
The investigation shut down all northbound lanes for nearly eight hours, from the early morning through just before 1 p.m. Vehicles were diverted off the freeway at Howard Hughes Parkway, and several northbound ramps stayed closed while investigators worked. Traffic backed up for miles past the 105 Freeway, and drivers also slowed on the southbound side as they passed the police activity. The closure hit a corridor that carries airport travelers, freight traffic and commuters between the South Bay, Westside and San Fernando Valley.
Officials said the case began as a street robbery report and ended as a police shooting investigation. The first scene was about two miles from the freeway shooting area, in Westchester. The second scene stretched across northbound lanes in Playa Vista, where officers marked evidence and kept vehicles away from the Kia and the area where the suspect was shot. Video from the scene showed police vehicles blocking lanes, officers walking near the suspect’s car and traffic frozen behind the closure.
The Los Angeles Police Department said body-worn camera video from the shooting is expected to be released in the coming weeks. Investigators also were reviewing witness accounts, radio traffic, physical evidence and any available video from police and nearby drivers. The Los Angeles County medical examiner will identify the suspect after relatives are notified. Police had not released additional details about the Yellow Cab driver, including whether anything was taken during the reported robbery.
The shooting added to a week of freeway violence and enforcement activity in Los Angeles County. Days earlier, the California Highway Patrol announced an arrest in a separate series of BB gun shootings involving vehicles on area freeways, including the 405. Police have not linked that case to Friday’s shooting. In this case, officials described the suspect as an adult man wanted in the Westchester robbery report, not as a suspect in earlier freeway shootings.
By late Friday afternoon, all northbound lanes had reopened and traffic was moving again near LAX. Police said the investigation remained ongoing, with the next major step expected to be the release of body-camera video and additional findings from detectives.
Author note: Last updated June 6, 2026.