11.22.2025 | 12:47 AM | OCEANSIDE – A lengthy pursuit ended in a standoff after an officer-involved shooting, leaving drivers stranded in a prolonged freeway closure, Saturday morning.
The incident began to unfold around 12:47 AM when Buena Park police officer attempted to stop a grey 2005 Cadillac CTS for a traffic violation.
The driver of the Cadillac failed to yield, setting off a lengthy pursuit that spanned Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties across the I-605, I-405, and I-5 freeways.
Officers deployed spike strips eventually disabling one of the vehicle’s tires before executing several PIT maneuver attempts on the southbound I-5 Freeway about a half mile north of Harbor Drive.
The Cadillac spun and the driver fled on foot into the center divider where he brandished a firearm prompting an officer-involved shooting around 2:10 AM.
The suspect was struck multiple times but survived and hid in a ravine for about six hours, refusing to comply with commands to surrender.
Radio traffic indicated the suspect had advised officers he was suffering from terminal cancer and wanted to “shoot it out” with officers because he did not want to die in jail.
Eventually the driver surrendered and was airlifted to a nearby trauma center in serious condition.
A passenger in the Cadillac surrendered and was taken into custody without incident.
The standoff prompted a full freeway closure leaving drivers stranded in traffic for hours. Many drivers reported missing flights, work, and other commitments as a result of the closure.
Most northbound lanes and one southbound lane was reopened by 9:37 AM.
A unserialized firearm, referred to by law enforcement as a “ghost gun” was recovered at the scene.
