Facing arrest, man wanted in battery case wades into Venice Beach waters to avoid police
A shirtless man was taken into custody at Venice Beach on Wednesday morning after authorities said he tried to fight several people then waded into the water to keep police from arresting him.
Video of the soggy standoff showed the man standing in waist-high surf, occasionally jumping up as a wave rolled in and officers looked on from the shore.
LAPD Officer Jennifer Kim said at least one person called police before 7 a.m. to report the man’s behavior. KTLA-TV reported that as many as four people complained that the man tried to fight them.
It took more than two hours, but the man eventually walked out of the water and was arrested by police. He was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor battery, police said.
Of the many ways suspects try to elude police, wading into the water is rare, though not unheard of.
In 2014, a suspected car burglar swam around Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades for several minutes until officers swam out, pulled him to shore and arrested him.
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