Los Angeles Police Department officers responding to a possible kidnapping in downtown Los Angeles ended up walking into a federal immigration operation on Tuesday morning.
Per an LAPD news release, officers were dispatched to 9th and Spring streets around 9:10 a.m. after a 911 call reporting a possible kidnapping in progress.
“Initial comments of the call indicated that several individuals were attempting to detain people without identifying themselves, prompting concerns from bystanders,” the release states.
Upon arriving at the scene, the officers – who were accompanied by a supervisor – found that a crowd was growing and becoming increasingly agitated. People eventually spilled into the street which, according to LAPD, created a “volatile situation and significant public safety hazard.”
The situation was compounded by morning traffic and congestion in DTLA, authorities added.
Additional units were requested to help manage traffic and ensure everyone’s safety; however, federal agents were able to detain some individuals.
“At one point, a partially handcuffed woman approached and stood near an LAPD officer,” the news release states. “After several minutes, a federal agent approached and assumed control of the woman.”
“LAPD was not involved in her attention or arrest,” the department said. “LAPD’s role was limited to maintaining order and public safety.”
Footage obtained by KTLA shows the federal agents forcefully taking a person, who was face down on the street, into custody. Multiple people were seen recording the incident as passersby in cars honked their horns.
In a separate recording taken by the same woman, she approached one of the masked agents and asked him if he’s with the FBI, as his vest indicated.
“Are you [with the] FBI, like for real? Do you have a badge?” the woman asks, to which the agent does not respond, instead getting into his truck, which did not have any license plates. Another bystander could be heard answering the woman’s question off camera, opining that they are not with the FBI.
The video was captioned with an expletive followed by “goons with no ID, no license plates, just roaming at large.”
The woman is also heard asking the responding LAPD officers why they were not stopping the federal agents from detaining people, and a local organization, Unión del Barrio, posted videos claiming to show LAPD officers “collaborat[ing] with ICE kidnappings.”
But the department says it does not enforce, participate in or assist with civil immigration enforcement, a policy that’s been in place for decades.
“Since 1979, department policy has prohibited officers from initiating police action solely to determine a person’s immigration status,” the LAPD news release concludes. “LAPD’s role remains focused on public safety, crime prevention and community trust, regardless of immigration status.”
According to L.A. police, the federal agents did not notify them of their planned enforcement activity in advance. The only reason local officers responded was for the initial call of a reported kidnapping, authorities clarified.
No arrests were made by the LAPD. The number of people detained by federal agents is not known.
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