LAPD illegal – An LAPD response to a hostage call involving a suspected armed man in Koreatown early Saturday uncovered an illegal gambling operation in an abandoned warehouse, leading to 26 detentions and six arrests on outstanding warrants.
Just after 4 a.m. on Saturday, an LAPD radio call lit up the city: a man with a gun, with someone being held hostage. Officers moved in fast near Kingsley Drive, responding to a tip that led them to the 3400 block of West 8th Street in Koreatown.
When the officers arrived, they found an abandoned warehouse being used as an illegal gambling site, according to LAPD spokesperson Officer Charles Miller. In the end, 26 people were detained at the scene. Six of them were arrested on outstanding warrants.
Miller said officers “had a radio call of a male armed with a gun, and officers discovered an illegal gambling operation.”
The most alarming part of the call—an alleged gunman and the hostage—wasn’t located at the warehouse. Miller said neither the alleged gunman nor the hostage were found at the scene, and no injuries were reported.
Those arrested were taken into custody and were in jail awaiting booking. Miller said no additional information was available. The rest of the people detained were released.
Video footage obtained by KTLA shows nearly two dozen people held with hand restraints outside the building. It also shows around a dozen officers wearing tactical gear. underscoring how seriously the initial hostage report was treated before investigators shifted to what they found inside the abandoned warehouse.
LAPD Koreatown illegal gambling hostage call West 8th Street Kingsley Drive Charles Miller hand restraints
Wait so it was “hostage” but they weren’t even there? LAPD just showed up for nothing then?
I don’t get it. If there’s no hostage found, how is that even a hostage call. Seems like bait info or something.
This is why I hate those radio calls. Like they said 26 detained and 6 arrested on warrants… so were they just part of the “hostage” vibes or what. And KTLA said hand restraints outside, that’s wild even if nobody got hurt.
Koreatown always got some sketchy spot in an abandoned warehouse, not surprised. They probably went in for the gambling and the hostage thing was like a cover story to get the response time up. Either way 4am tactics for no injuries is crazy.