Police Face Off with Large, Disorderly Crowd in Downtown LA

Introduction to the Incident

A modified tactical alert was activated on Saturday night when officers faced off with a large, disorderly crowd near a special event in downtown Los Angeles, authorities said Sunday.

The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that a fire marshal was dispatched to First and Hill streets at 6:45 p.m., where “a large crowd” was “acting unorderly and causing possible property damage to a passenger service vehicle,” LAFD spokeswoman Jennifer Middleton said.

Details of the Incident

The incident took place at an event sponsored by a skateboarding magazine, according to the Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Division. A Waymo car got stuck in the middle of the crowd and was damaged, ABC7 reported. NBC4 reported the “Halloween Hellbomb” was a permitted skateboarding event, according to an organizer. “Unfortunately, near the end of the evening, a group of individuals acted outside of the event’s control, and some isolated incidents occurred,” he told the station.

Response from Authorities

“People attending the event vandalized property and failed to disperse when requested to do so,” LAPD said in a statement. “As officers continued to attempt to disperse the crowd, a person riding a skateboard at speed, attempted to run into a line of officers. Others threw bottles and skateboard parts at the line of officers.” One injured person was evaluated by paramedics, Middleton said. The patient’s gender, age and condition were not available.

Aftermath and Arrests

“Officers were able to clear the streets with less than lethal tactics and the damaged vehicles and vandalized property is being documented,” police said in the statement. One person was arrested, NBC4 reported, though the reason was unclear. A modified tactical alert allows for holding over police shifts without disrupting routine officer responses elsewhere.

Conclusion

The incident highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement in maintaining order during large events, especially when a subset of the crowd engages in disorderly and destructive behavior. The use of less than lethal tactics to disperse the crowd and the arrest of at least one individual demonstrate the efforts made to restore order and ensure public safety.

FAQs

• Q: What was the nature of the event where the incident occurred?
  A: The incident took place at a permitted skateboarding event known as the “Halloween Hellbomb,” sponsored by a skateboarding magazine.
• Q: What happened to the Waymo car during the incident?
  A: A Waymo car got stuck in the middle of the crowd and was damaged.
• Q: How did the police respond to the disorderly crowd?
  A: The police used less than lethal tactics to disperse the crowd and arrested at least one person.
• Q: Was anyone injured during the incident?
  A: Yes, one injured person was evaluated by paramedics, but the details of the injury were not provided.
• Q: What is a modified tactical alert, and why was it activated?
  A: A modified tactical alert allows for holding over police shifts without disrupting routine officer responses elsewhere. It was activated to manage the large, disorderly crowd effectively.
  Originally Published: October 26, 2025 at 10:51 AM PDT