Southwest
Deadly 'street takeovers' wreck communities across US, but Arizona police have formula to curb chaos
As “street takeovers” have been on the rise in communities across the country, police in Arizona have managed to decrease the dangerous chaos and crowds.
“Back probably a year ago, we would have takeovers weekly, and then since March of this year, we haven’t had a single one in Phoenix or Tempe,” Sgt. Matt Barker, with the Tempe Police Department night traffic squad, told Fox News Digital.
Barker discussed the work he and his team have done to produce such a large decline in the disruptions, while cities like Cleveland, Los Angeles and Tampa have seen recent trouble with takeovers.
“We started seeing the actual intersection takeovers in Phoenix … mid-COVID,” Barker said, adding that streets were desolate and nobody was out except for those participating in the takeovers.
‘STREET TAKEOVERS’ TERRORIZE TOWNS ACROSS US AS FORMER DETECTIVE WARNS OF DEADLY CONSEQUENCES
He explained that before Tempe got control of its local takeovers, the Phoenix Police Department’s strong enforcement set the overall decline in motion.
“Phoenix had a squad that was more of a task force in the beginning … they did the enforcement so well in Phoenix that they pushed it to all the other agencies,” Barker said.
When one takeover became exceptionally forceful, Tempe police decided to take action.
“We had an aggravated assault where a citizen went to confront a group down the street from his house. They took his car. Beat him up really bad. And then they basically joyrode his car in the middle of the intersection and then returned it to him with a cracked windshield, they were jumping up and down on it, just shattering everything,” Barker said. “So that was kind of when Tempe said, OK, enough’s enough, we have to do something about this.”
BRAZEN VIRGINIA ‘STREET TAKEOVER’ CAUGHT ON VIDEO LEAVES OFFICER INJURED; 4 CHARGED
Barker credits his city’s government with providing the necessary funding and resources for those in law enforcement to do their jobs. Tempe police were able to go undercover to gather intel on the groups taking over their streets.
“We got involved with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to get some funding. We had basically explorers that looked like police cars…they couldn’t fit in very well,” Barker said. “So we got a couple of unmarked mustangs and were able to fit in with these groups. We were basically trying to identify the issues.”
Other state governments are now following suit. California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed four new bills aimed at helping law enforcement agencies across the state crack down on the disruptions, and Florida passed new legislation this year doubling the fines for first-time offenders caught drag racing or stunt driving on city streets.
In addition to causing noise pollution, traffic obstructions, property damage and physical injuries, street takeovers can even cause death, Dominic Choi, the Los Angeles Police Department’s interim chief at the time, noted in a June report.
“We’re not allowed to call it a gang, but it’s about as close as you can get without calling it that,” Barker said. “I have seen more people get hit by a car in these takeovers than I think I have any other place” and “I know people that got shot over these things.”
DO MENENDEZ BROTHERS STAND A CHANCE AT FREEDOM?
Hundreds showed up to participate in a California street takeover near Costa Mesa and Santa Ana earlier this month, FOX Los Angeles reported. Dozens of people called 911 in Cleveland several weeks ago when wild crowds swarmed the streets with cars and guns in a disruptive street takeover, the Fox 8 I-Team reported. The biggest reason for Tempe’s successful decline in takeovers? Barker emphasized “zero tolerance.”
“We did an operation in March, just kind of as an example. … We towed over 300 cars, arrested over 400 people just for the intersection takeovers and the street racing.”
Tempe police used social media as a tool to help investigate these takeovers and hold participants accountable.
“They were posting everything … where they were going to be, how many people, so it made it easy for us, and then we could use it all,” Barker said. “We’d write the search warrants and get the evidence that way, which was great because they were giving us the evidence of their crimes.”
While Tempe police have found a lasting solution to street takeovers in their area, Barker wants to share their story in the hopes that other cities and agencies may also reduce the ongoing disorder on their streets.
“We have something that works. And instead of, you know, agencies taking six months to eight months just to figure it out, we have a plan that we are obviously more than happy to share and have shared,” Barker said. “We learned from Phoenix and then we … kind of bumped it up and made it the next best thing. And then another agency can take it and make it their next best thing.”
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Events and protests were held in downtown Los Angeles Saturday on the one-year anniversary of one of the largest immigration enforcement actions in California.
One June 6, 2025, federal agents stormed the L.A. Fashion District, arresting and detaining dozens of workers.
The enforcement action served as a catalyst, igniting a wave of subsequent raids across Southern California. In response, city leaders affirmed their “unwavering commitment to the immigrant communities” in Los Angeles, as events were held throughout the city to remember those who were deported and those whose immigration cases remain unresolved.
Protesters advocating for immigrant communities gathered outside a federal detention center in downtown Saturday, waving flags and signs. One woman was arrested during a clash with police.
The initial raid in the L.A. Garment District swept up workers, including the father of one woman who described the experience as “one of the most traumatic experiences” of their lives. This operation was among the first deportation actions that resulted in families being separated and triggered days of civil unrest.
At a commemoration event, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and the Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of L.A. stood together, vowing to protect immigrant communities living in fear.
“We all felt attacked, and I think what’s so critical today, is to know and remember and acknowledge that this is still going on every day,” Bass said.
While the Department of Homeland Security maintains that its enforcement operations target criminals, families of those detained argue that immigration enforcement terrorizes hardworking people. These families contend that many immigrants pay taxes and contribute to society, even if they are not U.S. citizens.
Immigration attorneys report that thousands of individuals are still trying to locate their loved ones. They also highlighted that hundreds of people swept up in immigration raids last year remain detained in facilities, facing medical neglect, inhumane conditions and the denial of basic due process protections.
Watch the full report from KTLA’s Sara Welch in the video at the top of this story.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTLA. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTLA staff before being published.
Los Angeles, Ca
Pasadena motorist knocked unconscious in unprovoked assault after other driver flashes high beams at him
A motorist was rendered unconscious after what authorities are calling an unprovoked attack that occurred after another driver flashed their high beams at him, authorities say.
According to the Pasadena Police Department, the victim, a 63-year-old man, was driving northbound on Raymond Avenue near Washington Boulevard when a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction flashed him around 1 a.m. Saturday.
“The victim reported that he was driving northbound on Raymond Avenue from Washington Boulevard when he observed a vehicle traveling southbound flashing its high beams at him,” a Pasadena Police Department spokesperson confirmed to KTLA. “The victim stated he stopped his vehicle and exited. He was then assaulted by an unknown suspect. The assault was unprovoked.”
The attack left the man unconscious and with a three-inch deep laceration to his head, police added. Upon regaining consciousness, the man transported himself to Huntington Hospital, and it was around 1:20 a.m. when police responded there to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon and began their investigation.
Upon arriving at the hospital, the victim told police that, due to his injuries, he was not able to provide a description of a suspect, vehicle or the weapon used, nor was he able to tell police the exact location where the assault occurred, although it was confirmed to be somewhere near Raymond Avenue and Washington Boulevard. La Pintoresca Park is located near that intersection.
No further details were immediately available.
Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to contact the Pasadena Police Department right away.
Sofia Pop Perez contributed to this report.
A woman was struck and killed by a driver while crossing the street on Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach.
On June 3, the female pedestrian was using the crosswalk at Pacific Coast Highway and Pacific Avenue around 4:50 a.m.
She had walked against a red light and was hit by a 19-year-old driver in a Chevy sedan, Long Beach police said.
Despite lifesaving efforts, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.
“At this time, impaired driving, distracted driving and excessive speed are not believed to be a factor in this collision,” police said.
The woman’s name is being withheld pending identification by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information on the incident is asked to call Detective Joseph Johnson at 562-570-7355.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
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