An armed man who led Corona police in a chase onto the 91 Freeway to Anaheim Hills refused to get out of his car for hours on Friday, May 25, but was eventually dragged from the vehicle seemingly unconscious.
At least two TV stations are reporting that he is dead, but that has not been confirmed yet.
The standoff led police to shut down both sides of the freeway, snarling thousands of drivers in a massive traffic jam just ahead of the Memorial Day weekend.
California Highway Patrol cruisers eventually diverted traffic off of the 91 and onto nearby Imperial Highway.
About a quarter mile away, Crescent Elementary School was put on lockdown.
The chase started when Corona police said they attempted to pull the man over near McKinley Street and Griffin Way in that city.
Cpl. Tobias Kouroubacalis, a department spokesman, said he was wanted for a possible stalking incident.
“We were actively looking for him and this vehicle,” Kouroubacalis told ABC 7.
The man continued to drive, eventually ending up on the westbound side of the 91 near the Lakeview Avenue exit, where he stopped in a middle lane just after 8 a.m.
Corona and Anaheim police quickly surrounded the man, pinning his car between two large, armored SWAT vehicles, with another SWAT vehicle positioned nearby.
Several groups of SWAT officers stood back with their guns drawn on the vehicle as negotiators talked to him on a cellphone, attempting to get the man to surrender peacefully.
Police eventually brought in a drone to observe the vehicle. Other officers stood by with police dogs.
After 12 p.m., officers heard a loud noise inside the car, according to KTLA. Minutes later, the SWAT teams approached and opened the car’s door, where they found the man’s body slumped over. The officers could be seen dragging the man’s body away.
Corona police have not yet responded to questions about the man’s status.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.