Additional Information on Hit and Run During Hollywood Protest NR20239dm

Hollywood: On Thursday, September 24, 2020, just after 7:00 p.m., a group of more than 300 protestors marched through Hollywood. While there were isolated reports of vandalism, the group was largely peaceful. The crowd eventually made its way onto Sunset Boulevard.

Shortly after 9:00 p.m., a blue pick-up truck, traveling on Sunset Boulevard at Seward Street, attempted to maneuver through the crowd of protestors. According to initial investigative reports, the driver was surrounded as he drove past the crowd. The protestors began beating his vehicle with sticks and tried to open the door to his vehicle. As he attempted to drive away from the situation, he struck a protestor who was in the street. That individual was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Hollywood Area officers stopped that driver several blocks away, where he cooperated with officers and provided information. His vehicle had evidence of damage from the confrontation with protestors. He was released pending the outcome of a hit and run investigation.

About 40 minutes later, a white Prius at Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street, attempted to drive around that same group of protestors and was quickly surrounded by the crowd. Video from news broadcasts showed protestors striking and damaging the Prius as it drove through the group. The Prius drove away from the area and was chased for about a block by a black pick-up truck, believed to be involved with the protest. The truck accelerated and forced the Prius to come to a stop. The driver of the Prius attempted to flee the area and reversed into a green Mustang that had driven up behind the Prius. The driver of the Mustang also appeared to be associated with the march.

Occupants from both the pick-up truck and the Mustang surrounded the Prius and began striking the vehicle. Both the driver of the pick-up truck and the green Mustang attempted to extract the driver of the Prius from his vehicle. Video from media helicopters depicted a potential assault on that driver. He accelerated and drove off. The driver was stopped blocks away where he cooperated with Hollywood Patrol officers. There were no initial reports of injuries involved in the second incident.

Hollywood detectives will be canvassing the area today looking for potential witnesses and surveillance video that may have captured the incidents last night. While no arrests have been made, the investigation is still in its early stages and involves Hollywood detectives and investigators from LAPD’s West Traffic Division.