Robbery suspect fatally shot by police on the 405 Freeway

A robbery suspect was fatally shot by police Friday morning on the northbound 405 Freeway in Playa Vista after he opened fire on officers during a chase and refused to drop his handgun, authorities said.

The shooting forced the closure of all northbound 405 lanes for at least six hours during the Friday morning rush, disrupting travel for LAX passengers and downtown Los Angeles commuters.

The incident began around 4:15 a.m. when officers responded to a robbery at the 5800 block of West Manchester Avenue, where a male suspect had threatened to shoot a Yellow Cab driver. The suspect fled in a black Kia Soul when officers arrived, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Officers gave chase onto the northbound 405 Freeway, where the suspect opened fire toward the pursuing officers. "The suspect opened fire, presumably towards the officers' direction, and a short time later stopped the vehicle, exited that vehicle in possession of a handgun," LAPD Capt. Mike Bland said at a news conference at the scene.

When the suspect exited his vehicle armed, officers ordered him to drop his weapon. "The officers gave him direction and commands to drop the handgun but he refused to comply, and an officer-involved shooting occurred at that time," Bland said.

The suspect received medical aid at the scene and was transported to a hospital, where he died, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. A handgun was recovered at the scene, and no other injuries were reported.

All northbound 405 lanes were shut down, with the California Highway Patrol diverting traffic at Howard Hughes Parkway. CHP Lt. James Beard urged drivers to plan accordingly. "Please, if you're going to LAX to catch a flight or going to work this morning, or wherever you may be going, if you must come to the area, please give yourself a lot of extra time," Beard said.

Authorities said the freeway closure was expected to last at least six hours, snarling one of the region's most heavily traveled corridors during the Friday morning commute, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.