A felony warrant suspect trying to outrun the Los Angeles Police Department ended up in the ocean at Will Rogers State Beach on Thursday morning, where lifeguards took him into custody after a fast-moving pursuit in Pacific Palisades.
Officials said the call came in at 7:20 a.m. A short time later, West LA Division officers spotted the suspect and tried to make contact, but he ran and led them on a foot pursuit that ended when he jumped into the water to avoid arrest.
That is what made the scene so unusual: the suspect tried to turn the shoreline into an exit, but the water did not buy him much time. Aerial images from SkyFOX showed him in the ocean, and cameras later showed him appearing agitated and fighting lifeguards as they brought him under control.
The suspect was nude from the waist down, and his name has not been publicly released. Officials did not identify the felony warrant or say what alleged offense led to the stop, leaving the reason for the chase unclear even as the arrest itself played out in full view on the beach.
By Thursday morning, the immediate question had been answered: the suspect was no longer running, and lifeguards had him in custody. What remains unresolved is the warrant that set the pursuit in motion, and whether any charges tied to this beachside arrest will be announced later.
