A hit-and-run suspect was taken into custody Friday afternoon after a slow-speed chase ended with a multiple hour standoff in front of a Studio City home on Coldwater Canyon Avenue, half a mile away from the school.
It began in Hollywood after the suspect got into an argument with her partner, according to Fox 10. He got out of the vehicle when she allegedly hit him and attempted to run him over. The pursuit was initiated shortly after Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived at the scene.
Around 30 minutes later, the suspect continued driving with flat tires, even after officers deployed spike strips in hopes of putting the pursuit to an end. Along the way, police attempted a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver to disable the truck and eventually boxed the car in front of a Studio City home.
Just after noon, SWAT team members in three LAPD armored vehicles arrived at the scene and boxed-in the truck. Livestreams of the incident showed SWAT team members smashing out the truck’s rear and driver windows with a metal pole, then using the pole to drop canisters of gas inside the truck cab to force the driver out. The suspect was taken into custody around 12:30 pm.
Head of Upper School Beth Slattery said the school acted quickly to ensure student safety.
“We initially became aware because of the helicopters overhead,” Slattery said. “Then we contacted our security team which has contacts in the LAPD and they were able to tell us the nature of the police activity.”
Slattery said the administration took precautionary measures despite there being no immediate threat to the school.
“Because we were in contact with LAPD and knew the nature of the situation, we knew there was not a danger to our community,” Slattery said. “But, in an abundance of caution, we did not allow students to leave campus and we suggested that adults not leave campus either.”
Kyle Henderson ’27 said he was alarmed by the sudden presence of helicopters around the school.
“I was in math class when I saw multiple helicopters hovering above the school,” Henderson said. “It was really scary at first because none of us knew what was going on. I went back inside and one of my classmates told us that there was a hit and run suspect who wouldn’t get out of her car a couple minutes away near the junior parking lot. It was very surreal.”
Kailani Yap ’26 said the school’s cautious but calm response helped students feel safe despite the initial shock.
“I was pretty shocked because I didn’t realize something like this could happen so close to us,” Yap said. “I’m glad they figured it out in a couple of hours. The school’s clear communication through email and telling us not to leave campus didn’t raise any fear for me and my friends. We all felt protected and safe because it felt like the school was on top of the situation and taking the right steps to keep us informed and calm.”
