An attempt by authorities to serve an eviction notice on a tenant at a Hollywood apartment complex was met by gunfire Thursday, leading to a standoff that prompted a shutdown of streets and the Hollywood (101) Freeway, snarling traffic for hours.
The standoff began at about 8 a.m. in the 2300 block of Cahuenga Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Travis Morrow told reporters two deputies, along with representatives from the apartment building, approached the apartment Thursday morning, and when they knocked on the door and announced why they were there, “they heard a single gunshot come from within the apartment.”
The group backed away and the standoff began. Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau personnel were summoned to the scene, along with officers from the Los Angeles Police Department.
No injuries were immediately reported from the gunshot, but Morrow said deputies have been unable to make any contact with the person inside the apartment since the gunshot was heard.
Streets surrounding the apartment building were closed, and the complex was evacuated.
At about 9:30 a.m., a section of the nearby Hollywood (101) Freeway in the Cahuenga Pass was also shut down as the standoff continued, leading to miles-long backups in both directions. A window of the apartment where the standoff was occurring looks out onto the freeway.
The southbound freeway was reopened about 1 p.m., but the standoff was continuing.