Astonishing move from LAPD as no arrests made following wild street takeover that crippled city’s emergency response

A crazy street takeover crippled an intersection in Baldwin Hills Saturday morning, blocking an ambulance and creating traffic congestion — but responding cops failed to arrest anyone.

The Los Angeles Police Department told The California Post that they were aware of the street takeover and responded around 2:43 a.m. Saturday, but didn’t make any arrests as a large crowd dispersed.

The highly illegal takeover, caught on video, saw suped-up cars doing donuts in the middle of an intersection at La Brea Avenue and Obama Boulevard.

A large crowd of people watched the cars swing around, coming dangerously close to bystanders at several points.

The takeover started around 2:30 a.m., according to video stringer RMG News. Traffic, including a line of Waymos, is shown backing up as the cars move erratically in the intersection. Fireworks are seen being set off, smoke from the cars’ tires covered the area, and laser pointers illuminated the night.

People are even seen dangerously hanging off the vehicles as they show off for the crowd.

At one point, an ambulance with lights and sirens on is seen trying to cross through the intersection, but is blocked by cars.

The ambulance was delayed, but finally made it through the intersection after a quick break in the action.

The takeover resumed as the ambulance was seen leaving, with a black car nearly swinging its rear into a crowd of people.

It’s unclear how the takeover ended, but police said the crowd dispersed as they arrived.

Street takeovers in Los Angeles aren’t uncommon and often do end in arrests. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said in April that the department had made hundreds of arrests related to the rowdy mobs.

The Los Angeles Police Department responded to almost 700 street takeovers last year, McDonnell said in an appearance on KTLA. Cops made 1,700 traffic stops related to the vehicular mayhem and issued more than 1,700 citations, he said.

In all, police made nearly 300 arrests at takeovers last year, said McDonnell, and the department is “trending in that direction again this year.”

But crushing the takeovers is a challenge, he said, in part because they often draw hundreds of participants.

“Look at the number of people around there,” McDonnell said of the mobs. “There are people around for the blocks around it, as well.”

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