Most pathetic police car chase ever: California cops take far too long to pull over gunman on a bicycle
Worst. Car chase. Ever.
LAPD officers were filmed as they embarked on a not-so-speedy chase of a local attempted murder suspect – one who was able to elude them despite being on a bicycle.
The chase took place around 11:45 a.m. on April 26, on a stretch of Highway 5. The suspect, 24-year-old John Lopez, led officers down the highway for several minutes after patrol units created a traffic break to move other cars out of the way hold.
They followed Lopez, who is accused of shooting his brother, as he walked across multiple lanes.
Lopez eventually exited the highway at the Mission Road exit and continued to drive in and out of traffic before being apprehended by a Hollenbeck officer in his police vehicle.
This caused him to lose control of the motorcycle and fall onto the roadway, ending the pursuit. The suspect was then taken into custody without further incident, police said. Footage of the chase was released as evidence on Monday.
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LAPD officers were filmed as they embarked on a not-so-speedy chase of a local attempted murder suspect – one who was able to elude them despite being on a bicycle.
“On April 26, 2024, at approximately 11:45 a.m., Northeast uniformed officers responded to the 100 block of East Avenue 36 for a shooting investigation,” an accompanying statement from the department read.
“When officers arrived, they determined that the suspect, later identified as 24-year-old John Lopez, had shot a family member following a verbal argument and was no longer on the scene.
Shortly after a crime scene began, an air unit found Lopez riding his bicycle south on the 5 Freeway.
“Patrol units from the Northeast and Hollenbeck created a traffic jam and followed Lopez as he drove across multiple lanes.”
The footage shows the rest, with Lopez seen weaving and driving – seemingly at a snail’s pace – as the dashcam police car follows closely behind.
Several others are seen trying to pull the kicking perpetrator aside, without success.
Ultimately, the car mentioned in the statement is able to accelerate at sufficient speed before swerving to the left to cut off the suspect.
The car then hits the motorcyclist with a surprising amount of force, sending him to the pavement. The police proceed to handcuff him and make a quick arrest.
The footage shows the rest, with Lopez seen weaving and driving – seemingly at a snail’s pace – as the dashcam police car follows closely behind.
Police proceeded to handcuff him and make a quick arrest before prosecutors set his bail at $2 million
Afterward, Lopez “complained of pain in his knees and was treated at a local hospital,” officers wrote — before revealing he was wanted for attempted murder.
The shooting victim, they said, “suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was held overnight for observation at a local hospital.”
No officers or other community members were injured during the incident, the force proudly proclaimed – adding that “a small caliber firearm was recovered” from the suspect’s person.
The department’s Force Investigation Division has initiated an investigation into the incident, which remains ongoing.
That investigation revealed that the person shot was Lopez’s brother, shot somewhere near the 100 block of East Avenue 36, not far from the stretch of road where the chase ultimately ended.
Public records show Lopez has been booked into the North County Correctional Facility in La County.
He is being held on a $2 million bond, with his next court hearing scheduled for April 10.
DailyMail.com has contacted the LAPD for comment.