An hours-long standoff ended Thursday night when a parolee who led police on a high-speed chase through the San Fernando Valley killed himself inside a Winentka home, according to police on scene.
The chase, which reached 120 mph, began in Van Nuys and ended about 9 miles west in Winnetka at 7:25 p.m., when the driver ditched his motorcycle and ran into a housing complex.
Multiple residents were escorted from their homes, pictured below, as police searched the complex near Roscoe Boulevard and Mason Avenue (map).
With their guns draw, officers lay atop roofs, crouched in bushes and behind squad cars waiting for the wanted driver to emerge.
About 10 p.m., police revealed the motorcyclist killed himself inside a bathroom.
"They tried to call him out, he refused to comply. ... As they made entry, they heard a gunshot in the back room,” said Capt. Joel Justice, with LAPD's Topanga Division.
The home in which the driver barricaded himself for nearly three hours apparently belonged to the deceased parolee's friend. The friend and his 150-pound pit bull were unharmed.
The now-deceased driver was wanted on suspicion of a parole violation, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
During the chase, a police helicopter played a vital role in tracking the parolee, whose manueverable motorcycle made it nearly impossible for squad cars to stay in toe.
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