A shocking video shows lawlessness in the streets of Los Angeles as a group of more than 100 young people took over an intersection and caused chaos with only a scant police response.
Troublemakers blocked the street corner at Alondra Boulevard and Figueroa Street, where drivers did donuts at high rates of speed with onlookers standing dangerously close by. At one point, a black sedan could be seen swerving into the crowd, while viewers of the spectacle scrambled to jump out of the way. One person was hit by the car, but walked away from the scene.
The incident occurred on March 22.
At the same time, a Metro Rapid bus occupied by a driver and passengers was trapped by crowd, which disallowed it from moving.
Passengers could only stare out the windows as about a dozen hooligans jumped atop the bus while others sprayed it with graffiti, including on the bus’ windshield.
Fireworks were also set off during the chaos. One blast from the middle of the intersection sent onlookers running.
The LAPD Street Racing Task Force was unavailable to respond to the incident, and instead, two patrol cars were dispatched.
Sgt. Chris Carson of the LAPD Harbor Division spoke to the Los Angeles Daily News about the wild takeover.
“A lot of times, we get there and they’ve moved on,” he told the outlet. “The local residents don’t like it. We don’t like it. They take over a place and create a hazard. They block traffic. But we don’t have the people to go and grab everyone. They’ll run from us.”
Nobody was arrested, though two cars were impounded.
The LAPD did not return a Monday request for comment.
Street takeovers have become part of everyday life in major cities across the country, including Los Angeles.
Last summer, 50 vehicles wreaked havoc outside the Crypto.com Arena, home of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, doing donuts and burnouts while onlookers set off fireworks and shot paintball guns at vehicles, according to KTLA.
Two people also reportedly broke into a storefront and looted merchandise during the event.
Stemming from another street takeover in Carson, California, part of Los Angeles County, authorities arrested 64 spectators and towed 25 vehicles, according to My News LA. Two vehicles were impounded for 30 days and eight traffic citations were issued.
Around the same time, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called for increased fines for repeat offenders who participate in street takeovers.
