A brief traffic enforcement stop on a busy Saturday evening escalated into a deadly, hours-long police operation on November 22 in Burbank. Officers initially pulled over a vehicle around 6:40 p.m. along the 2400 block of Buena Vista Street, just steps from the northbound Interstate 5 on-ramp.

What began as a standard stop shifted dramatically when one passenger suddenly bolted from the car. According to police, the man sprinted up the I-5 on-ramp before leaping over a concrete embankment wall and vanishing into a nearby residential neighborhood. Officers at the scene believed he might be armed, but they remained with the driver and vehicle while calling in backup.

Search Expands Into a Multi-Agency Manhunt

Responding units deployed a police helicopter and a canine team to search the steep, brush-covered terrain surrounding the freeway. As officers combed the area, the police dog located the hiding suspect. Before officers could intervene, the man opened fire, striking and critically wounding the canine.

Police rushed the injured dog to a nearby emergency veterinary facility, but the dog later died despite attempts to save him.

Suspect Located but Still Armed

Through assistance from an air support unit, officers later spotted the suspect tucked into a patch of dense, uneven vegetation adjacent to the freeway on-ramp—a location uncomfortably close to homes. Police say the man still held a handgun as he concealed himself in the overgrowth.

Given the terrain, the danger to nearby residents, and the armed suspect’s refusal to surrender, the situation transitioned into a joint operation involving both the Burbank and Glendale Police Departments. Authorities deployed additional canines, crisis negotiation specialists, and the Burbank Police SWAT team.

Hours of Negotiations Lead to Gunfire

Throughout the night, officers attempted to persuade the suspect to surrender voluntarily. Negotiators issued repeated calls and commands, while tactical teams created a secure perimeter and used less-lethal tools designed to encourage compliance without escalating force.

Despite those measures, police say the man began firing rounds at officers, striking several unoccupied police vehicles positioned nearby. Officers returned fire, hitting the suspect. Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene. His handgun was recovered next to him.

Identity Unknown, Investigation Continues

As of Sunday morning, investigators had not confirmed the suspect’s identity. The operation, which spanned many hours in low-visibility conditions, left behind a large and complex crime scene stretching from the freeway shoulder to residential streets.

Detectives expect to continue their work into daylight, collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses and officers, and piecing together the chain of events that began with a simple traffic stop and ended with a deadly confrontation.