A suspected DUI driver seen huffing from a balloon led Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies on a chase that ended on a nearly five-hour standoff Thursday.
The pursuit began just before noon when deputies tried to pull over the driver of a white pickup truck in Los Angeles' Compton neighborhood, KTLA-TV reports. The driver refused to stop and fled.
During the chase, the driver crossed a street's the center divider and crashed into a cruiser, according to KTTV-TV. He then evaded three other units as deputies tried to use PIT maneuvers to stop the vehicle.
Finally, the driver reached a dead end next to a wash. Deputies pinned in the truck, and a five-hour standoff ensued.
As authorities negotiated with the driver, he could be seen in TV footage apparently inhaling a gas from a tank. He also was seen vaping.
Deputies eventually deployed pepper balls and tear gas in the standoff. The tear gas forced the driver from the pickup truck, and the driver fled the vehicle on foot before dropping to his knees and surrendering.
The driver, who was visiting from Utah, was arrested and faces DUI and assault charges.
