Hundreds gather at series of street takeovers overnight throughout Southland
Despite community outrage and attempts by law enforcement to curb such gatherings, hundreds of spectators and participants flooded Southland streets for yet another series of street takeovers Sunday evening.
Dangerous driving stunts, laser pointers and fireworks were amongst the usual antics performed by those in attendance, as they overtook intersections at several locations, including: W. Imperial Highway and S. Western Avenue, Manchester Avenue and San Pedro Street and W. Alondra Boulevard and Central Avenue in Compton.
Footage from the scene of the Compton street takeover shows cars coming dangerously close to onlookers as they performed doughnuts around the intersection, with people hanging out of windows and sunroofs with passenger doors wide open.
At one point, a crew of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies who approached a takeover were blocked in by the crowd, unable to move their vehicles.
Both LASD deputies and Los Angeles Police Department officers were dispatched to the scenes of the takeovers, but no arrests were made.
Deputies detailed that when authorities arrive to break these performances up, the crowd just converges at another location nearby, making it difficult to stop.
"I think it's craziness," said Cassandra Walton, detailing a time she had to detour because of a street takeover while her grandson was in the car. "We had to go around three blocks because the big crowd of people."
This most recent series of takeovers comes just a week after two women were killed in a two-car collision stemming from a similar street takeover in Compton on June 12, and just days after residents passionately called for a stop to these dangerous incidents at a city council meeting in their hometown.
"I think they should do more," said Y.D. Davis, a Compton resident. "I think they should take them damn cars and keep them for six months."
"I get it, it's fun for them, whatever the case. However, it shouldn't affect every day people trying to get back-and-forth to wherever it is they're going," Walton continued.
Compton Mayor Emma Sharif, said that she would be working with law enforcement agencies and nearby cities to put together a task force and hopefully put an end to these events.
