Passenger killed when gunman hijacks city bus, leads police on chase through downtown Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A passenger was killed after a gunman hijacked a city bus in Los Angeles early Wednesday, leading to a slow police chase through downtown before the suspect was eventually arrested, authorities said.

The armed man boarded the Metro bus with the driver and two passengers aboard shortly before 1 a.m. in South Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Officers approached the bus as it slowly rolled away. A cavalcade of police vehicles followed it as the driver drove at gunpoint for the next hour. A flashing sign on the front of the bus read: “Emergency. 911 Call Police.”

Police deployed spike strips, which punctured one of the tires. After traveling more than 7 miles (11 kilometers), the bus eventually came to a stop at a downtown intersection near the city's Arts District, and the suspect surrendered, officials said.

TV news footage showed a series of small explosions around the bus stopped in the neighborhood of lofts and warehouses, then police storming aboard with shields. The bus driver climbed out of window and ran to safety behind an armored vehicle while officers moved in.

A man was found inside the bus with gunshot wounds, but details about what led up to the shooting were not immediately available. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.

The driver and the second passenger were treated by paramedics at the scene and released. In a statement, Metro said the bus driver was OK and receiving the support he needs.

Police praised the driver for keeping calm.

“This operator continued to operate the bus in as safe a manner as he could under the circumstances, with the police trailing him for an hour before the spike strips finally took effect,” Deputy Chief Donald Graham told reporters.

The killing is the latest in a series of violent incidents, including stabbings and shootings on buses and trains as Los Angeles seeks to expand the transit system ahead of hosting the Olympics in 2028. In May, Mayor Karen Bass called for increased security on transit routes.

In March, a man who indicated he had a gun hijacked a Metro bus in downtown LA and then grabbed the wheel, causing the bus to collide with several vehicles and crash into a hotel.

A bus passes by news media in front of a Los Angeles MTA bus depot near the site where an overnight a bus was hijacked by an armed suspect with passengers on board Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

A news camera records in front of a Los Angeles MTA bus depot near the site where overnight a bus was hijacked by an armed subject with passengers on board Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. One person was fatally shot before police apprehended the suspect. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

A bus passes by waiting news media in front of a Los Angeles MTA bus depot near the site where overnight a bus was hijacked by an armed subject with passengers on board Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. One person was fatally shot before police apprehended the suspect. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

A bus passes by a news van in front of a Los Angeles MTA bus depot near the site where overnight a bus was hijacked by an armed subject with passengers on board Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Buses enter a Los Angeles MTA bus depot near the site where overnight a bus was hijacked by an armed subject with passengers on board Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. One person was fatally shot before police apprehended the suspect. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

News media prepare to go live in front of a Los Angeles MTA bus depot near the site where overnight a bus was hijacked by an armed subject with passengers on board Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. One person was fatally shot before police apprehended the suspect. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

News media prepare to go live in front of a Los Angeles MTA bus depot near the site where overnight a bus was hijacked by an armed subject with passengers on board Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. One person was fatally shot before police apprehended the suspect. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

News media prepare to go live in front of a Los Angeles MTA bus depot near the site where overnight a bus was hijacked by an armed subject with passengers on board Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. One person was fatally shot before police apprehended the suspect. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Buses enter a Los Angeles MTA bus depot near the site where overnight a bus was hijacked by an armed subject with passengers on board Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. One person was fatally shot before police apprehended the suspect. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

A news truck is parked near the scene of an overnight transit bus hijacking Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets right tackle Morgan Moses will be sidelined “a couple games” with a knee injury, coach Robert Saleh announced Wednesday.

The 33-year-old Moses hurt his left knee on the final play of the third quarter last Thursday night in the Jets' 24-3 win over the New England Patriots. First-round draft pick Olu Fashanu will fill in for Moses and make his first NFL start Sunday against Denver.

It's a significant loss for New York's offensive line, which played well in the first two games, but Moses is expected to return in a few weeks after tests determined it wasn't as severe as some initially feared.

“He’s going to be a couple games,” Saleh said, “but obviously not enough to put him on IR.”

Saleh wouldn't specify the nature of Moses' injury, saying: “He's just dealing with a knee.” Moses was seen in the Jets' locker room before practice with a bulky brace on his left knee. He did not practice.

Moses would have been forced to sit out at least four games if the Jets placed him on injured reserve. The veteran was acquired by New York from Baltimore in March in a trade that included draft picks, with the Jets also getting a fourth-rounder in exchange for a fourth- and sixth-rounder.

It's Moses' second stint with the Jets after also playing for New York in 2021.

Fashanu, the 11th overall pick, came in for Moses against New England and played the fourth quarter. He was drafted as a left tackle out of Penn State, but the Jets signed Tyron Smith in the offseason. Fashanu was expected to sit as a rookie behind Smith, but he got some work at right tackle during training camp.

“We've got a lot of faith in Olu to go out and execute,” Saleh said.

Fashanu played only left tackle in college, so learning how to play on the right side took some getting used to.

“I'm pretty comfortable,” Fashanu said. “It's been something I've been working on ever since the draft training in February, and worked on it during OTAs and training camp. I feel like I'm in a pretty good spot right now.”

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been impressed with Fashanu's maturity as a rookie and overall abilities.

“I don’t like to do a lot of comparisons, but I will in this case. From the beginning, I felt like he reminded me a lot of D'Brickashaw (Ferguson), personality-wise and just the consistency,” Rodgers said, referring to the former Jets left tackle who played all but one snap in his 10 seasons in New York.

“Obviously, I didn't play with Brick, but I know people that did and I watched him from afar," he added. "And I always felt like he was just so consistent week in and week out. ...

“It’s just never been too big for Olu. I feel like he’s been consistent every day.”

Linebacker C.J. Mosley sat out practice Wednesday and Saleh said the veteran could be a game-time decision again Sunday.

Mosley injured a toe in the Jets' win at Tennessee on Sept. 15 and sat out against New England.

“We'll see how things go, but we were planning on giving him so vet days, anyway,” Saleh said. “We're going to, I don't want to say overly cautious, but we'll just make sure that this toe doesn't become a problem.”

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New York Jets offensive tackle Morgan Moses (78) is tended to by trainers after an injury during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)