Two possibly armed suspects remain at large following a destructive pursuit that ended in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles Saturday night.
The pursuit began around 5:30 p.m. and led L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputies across L.A. County before the suspects crashed near 1st Street and Central Avenue.
The suspects jumped out of the car and fled on foot before entering the Japanese Village Plaza. A popular shopping and dining area, the suspects prompted crowds of bystanders to flee as panic ensued.
Surveillance video from a sushi restaurant captured the chaos as shoppers and diners ran away in fear while the suspects sprinted through the crowd.
Citizen video showed patrol cars speeding on surface streets while multiple helicopters circled overhead during the search.
One witness, a street vendor named Freund, said he was just feet away when the suspects crashed their car.
“I was selling my art here on the street and this car came and crashed into my car,” Freund said. “I saw the car approaching me at high speed. They never hit the brakes and then they ran into the plaza. They immediately opened the doors and just ran out — two guys. I jumped out of the way.”
Details remain limited and it’s unclear what the suspects were initially wanted for. No suspect descriptions have been released so far as the search continues.