Santa Ana: Pursuit Ends In Brief Standoff At Hospital
10.17.2024 | 10:00 PM | SANTA ANA – A pursuit that began in Irvine ended in a brief standoff in a hospital parking lot before officers forcibly removed a suspect, Thursday night.
The pursuit began when Irvine police officer attempted to stop a white Chevrolet Bolt for vehicle code violations near the intersection of Irvine Boulevard and Culver Drive around 10:00 PM.
The driver of the vehicle and sole occupant refused to stop and led officers on a pursuit that traveled westbound through Tustin and into Santa Ana.
The driver turned northbound on Tustin Avenue before pulling into the Orange County Global Medical Center 's parking lot and briefly stopping to hold his driver's license outside his window before continuing deeper into the parking lot.
Eventually the driver backed into a parking spot and was boxed in by law enforcement vehicles.
Officers spent nearly an hour attempting to communicate with the driver in hopes that he would surrender but eventually used a glass breaker and baton to shatter the Chevrolet's passenger window and unlock the doors to the vehicle.
An arrest team subsequently pulled the driver out of the vehicle and placed him under arrest.
Medics responded to evaluate the driver but later released him back into police custody.
Traffic on Tustin Avenue and into the hospital was impacted while the brief standoff was underway.
