Several trains vandalized by large group in downtown LA
Los Angeles police Saturday responded to a disturbance near downtown that eventually escalated into vandalism.
The initial calls came in around 9 p.m. of a disturbance in the 1700 block of Trinity Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Later that evening, police received additional reports about a large group setting off fireworks on a rooftop. Officers arrived at the scene and called for backup.
According to police, several individuals vandalized a pair of Metro trains, leading to a temporary suspension of train service. One of their patrol cars was also hit as well.
The area was cleared by 1 a.m. on Sunday, and no arrests were reported, but not before an entire strip mall was tagged with graffiti.
Video shows as the massive group of people move through the area, as they're leaving what one witness said was a rooftop concert.
"There was a show by Dead City Punk, and there was easily over 3,000 people there," said the witness. "We were on top of a parking lot. So what ended up happening is that it got too crazy, it got too crowded."
He says that on top of the graffiti, some people were using hairspray to create makeshift flamethrowers.
The unlawful assembly was declared by LAPD officers after they dispersed the crowd on the roof, but the crowd didn't back down, even when they showed up in riot gear.
"The reason why the cops started pushing forward is because people were messing with the cops," the witness said. "They were antagonizing them, they threw fireworks at them. They were throwing water bottles, beer cans, anything you can think of."
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass shared a statement on the incident with CBS News Los Angeles upon request.
"This kind of behavior is totally unacceptable and has no place in our city," the statement said. "We are in contact with the LAPD about this, and our office is reaching out to the businesses who were impacted to offer our support. Those involved must be held fully accountable."
