A man driving a white minivan stopped several times both on the freeway and on surface streets during a pursuit that lasted over an hour Wednesday morning, police said.
The Los Angeles Police Department's North Hollywood Division was pursuing the driver of the car, with a warrant for a man with a gun, said Officer Mike Lopez of the LAPD.
The chase started just after 10 a.m. at the intersection of Tujunga Avenue and Chandler Boulevard in North Hollywood, Lopez said. The man told police officers he had a gun before he got into the van.
Around 10:20 a.m., the driver stopped briefly on the 101 Freeway near Woodland Hills before driving away from officers once again.
The pursuit continued on surface streets for a few minutes after the driver exited the freeway, but the driver got back on to the 101 Freeway shortly after.
At one point, while the driver was stopped, he leaned out of the car door and made a lewd gesture toward authorities.
As the chase moved into the Sherman Oaks area, the California Highway Patrol prepared to take over the pursuit from the LAPD around 10:40 a.m.
Later, the driver of the van exited the freeway once again and the pursuit continued through the Van Nuys area at slower speeds.
At one point, a cameraman ran across the street and right up to the driver's window. Officer Tony Im of the LAPD said the cameraman's actions were "dangerous," and said police planned to reach out to the individual's employers to tell them that type of behavior is not encouraged.
Over an hour after the pursuit started, the driver came to one final stop on Sherman Way near the 170 Freeway. He exited the car, stood with his hands up and laid on the ground before police led him into a patrol car in handcuffs.
