Berkeley evacuation after CHP pursuit, live grenade thrown from fleeing vehicle

Berkeley street evacuated after live grenade thrown from car

A Berkeley street was evacuated on Friday after a live grenade was thrown from a suspected stolen car, officials say. The California Highway Patrol initiated a pursuit from in Oakland that went into the neighboring city. The suspect is in custody and the bomb squad handled the grenade before the area was given the all clear.

BERKELEY, Calif. - Law enforcement officials say a suspect is in custody after California Highway Patrol pursued a vehicle from Oakland into Berkeley on Friday. Berkeley police say the occupant of the fleeing vehicle threw a bag from the car. The contents of that bag ended up being a live grenade, according to CHP.

What we know:

The Berkeley Police Department said the pursuit came into the Berkeley area at around 3:30 p.m. Because of the suspicious contents of the bag, the 1300 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way was evacuated as a precautionary measure. Police said a bomb team responded to investigate.

An apartment complex in North Berkeley is at this address.

CHP Sgt. Andrew Barclay said the pursuit started in Oakland. He said the vehicle was stolen, and their officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver fled and entered Berkeley.

Law enforcement determined a grenade was inside the bag thrown from the vehicle.

Officers took the suspect into custody without incident, according to Sgt. Barclay.

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The explosive device will be disposed by the UC Berkeley Police Department bomb squad, Barclay said.

The Berkeley Police Department said they, along with the UC Berkeley PD, are assisting CHP with this incident.

Berkeley police told residents to avoid this area until the scene was declared safe, which Sgt. Barclay indicated the scene was clear, shortly after 5 p.m.

This is a developing story. Check back for the latest details.