Local News in Brief : Van Nuys Driver Held After Chase, 6 Cars Hit

A Van Nuys man who led police on a 5-mile car chase, crashing into six cars and attempting to run down an officer, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, Los Angeles police said Friday.

William Dennis Bryant, 33, was in stable condition in the jail ward at County-USC Medical Center with a concussion he suffered in one of the crashes, Detective Paul Stewart said. Bryant was being held without bail on an arrest warrant for allegedly receiving stolen property, Stewart said.

No one else was injured during the chase, in which police fired an undisclosed number of shots at Bryant’s car. The series of events began at 4:45 p.m. Thursday when two officers saw Bryant drive through a red light at Victory Boulevard and Bellingham Avenue in North Hollywood, Stewart said.

Officers said they signaled for Bryant to pull over, but he sped away. Stewart said Bryant headed west into Van Nuys during the 10-minute chase, which included other patrol cars. Bryant’s car struck at least five parked cars before police trapped it on Longridge Avenue near Burbank Boulevard. One officer jumped out of his car to block any attempt by Bryant to flee on foot, Stewart said. But Bryant drove his car directly at the officer, forcing him to jump out of the way, Stewart said.

Stewart said a second officer fired several shots at Bryant’s car, but the car continued until it crashed into a sixth parked car, knocking it onto the curb.

Bryant’s car sped away, but after traveling three blocks, it hit a curb and stopped. He was then arrested.