Wanted: Man wearing handcuffs who escaped police custody in Canoga Park

A man who was handcuffed by police managed to run away from the arresting officer in Canoga Park, triggering a modified tactical alert and manhunt, Los Angeles police said.

Police said the man was probably still wearing the handcuffs, but other than that, did not provide a detailed description. The man ran away from the officer, who fell during the chase and injured himself, said Officer Aareon Jefferson of the Los Angeles Police Department. He said the man escaped before 9:30 a.m. at De Soto Avenue and Vanowen Street.

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The arresting officer was taken to the hospital in stable condition, Jefferson said. The man is wanted on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on an officer and was being investigated in a drug crime, Jefferson said.

A tactical alert was issued for the San Fernando Valley, Jefferson said, meaning officers can be held over their work shift to saturate a problem area. Police said they had set up a perimeter around the area to search for the man, but took it down by 1 p.m.

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