Police early Saturday moved in on a large street takeover in a Harbor Gateway neighborhood that has been plagued with the dangerous sideshows this summer, as the scene turned into what one official called a “demolition derby” of drivers trying to flee.
Video shows multiple officers surrounding a large group of people in the intersection of South Figueroa Street and West Alondra Boulevard around 3:30 a.m., with vehicles stopped or abandoned in the roadway.
“They became their own little demolition derby, banging into each other trying to escape the arrests,” Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker, who represents the 15th District, said in an interview with freelance news videographer OnScene.TV.
Home security camera footage captured young people running through the neighborhood, with some jumping over a wall into a resident’s backyard.
McOsker said police anticipated the takeover in that community over the holiday weekend.
“This is an area where, on many weekends, especially through the summer, there were street takeovers,” McOsker said. “And this being the first night of Labor Day weekend, LAPD was ready …”
Officers shut down the intersection and prevented participants from leaving, McOsker said. Numerous vehicles involved were impounded, while drivers were arrested and booked.
Two LAPD police buses stood nearby, ready to transport those arrested.
Other participants were cited, and minors who had been recording the takeover were taken to a police station to be picked up by their parents, according to McOsker.
“This was a very large takeover that provides a great deal of damage to our city infrastructure,” McOsker said. “More importantly, it’s a dangerous activity that disrupts our neighborhoods.”
The intersection is near the Gardena city limits.
LAPD Media Relations did not immediately have information Saturday morning on the number of arrests, citations or vehicles impounded because the operation was ongoing.
City News Service contributed to this report.