LAPD issues citywide tactical alert for unruly crowd; 2 stabbings under investigation

Los Angeles Police Department officials issued a citywide tactical alert on Saturday due to an unruly crowd. 

Information about the gathering was not immediately available, but police said the crowd numbered up to 200 people as it moved through downtown streets. They did not say what was unruly about the gathering. 

Aerial footage showed the group scattering at one point and running through a McDonald's parking lot in Leimert Park at around 6:40 p.m. 

Saturday was a busy day for Los Angeles, as thousands of people gathered on Crenshaw Boulevard for the 21st annual Taste of Soul Festival, which featured some of the area's best food while celebrating the rich Black culture and history of LA. At the same time, hundreds of people gathered downtown for a "No Kings" demonstration as they encouraged voter participation ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. 

Police were unsure if the crowd was related to either event. They did, however, say that there was a stabbing near the Taste of Soul event at around 2:45 p.m. near Crenshaw Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. According to LAPD officers, several people were taken to nearby hospitals in unknown condition. No arrests were immediately reported.

Los Angeles Fire Department crews also confirmed with CBS LA that there was a second stabbing in the area hours later. It happened at around 6:10 p.m. in the 4200 block of S. Crenshaw Boulevard, where LAFD crews said they took one person to a nearby hospital. Their condition was not immediately known. LAPD has not yet told CBS LA anything about the incident.

LAPD officials said the tactical alert was deactivated at 8:30 p.m. There have not yet been any reports of arrests connected to the crowd.