A police chase that began in Corona on Friday morning ended with what appeared to be the death of the chase suspect after a nearly two-hour standoff on Highway 91 in Anaheim.
The suspect is believed to be a 40-year-old armed man who was inside a blue four-door sedan surrounded by two armored vehicles from the Anaheim and Corona police departments, according to ABC7-TV. The confrontation created a stalemate on both sides of the highway in both directions.
Aerial video from KTLA 5-TV showed officers cautiously approaching the vehicle and then slowly removing the man's body from the driver's seat.
The man did not appear to be moving and his condition is unknown.
KTLA 5 reported that he saw the man “slumped over” in the car and saw signs of blood.
Around 8 a.m. Friday, Corona police officers located an armed man suspected of stalking someone in the area of Mckinley Street and Griffin Way in the city of Corona, police Cpl. Tobias Kouroubacalis told ABC7.
Officers attempted a traffic stop, but the man did not stop and a chase ensued, leading officers onto Highway 91, Kouroubacalis said.
“We are in contact with the suspected driver by phone and are trying to bring this situation to a peaceful conclusion,” he said earlier in the morning.
Behind the boxed-in suspect were dozens of police vehicles.
Police vehicles created a barrier between the suspect and the miles-long line of waiting drivers, according to ABC7 aerial video.
Kouroubacalis warned drivers to stay in their vehicles and follow the instructions of officers at the scene.
At 9:30 a.m., Caltrans posted on social media platform X that westbound Highway 91 at Imperial Highway and the eastbound portion of the highway at Lakeview Avenue were blocked.
Two schools, Crescent Elementary and Orange Pre-K, near the freeway are closed as a precaution.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.
