Yet another Oakland street takeover with thugs firing guns caught on video; residents complain cops are nowhere to be found



Just about a month ago, five people were shot during an Oakland street takeover. The lawless gatherings also are known as "sideshows," during which motorists block off intersections and drive in circles, peeling out and burning rubber as large crowds look on and record video.

Well, early Saturday morning, Oakland suffered yet another street takeover, this one an hour long that included participants shooting guns into the air — all caught on video. Shellshocked residents complained that police were nowhere to be found, KTVU-TV reported.

'We know that we don’t have enough police officers. ... We can’t afford it.'

You can view a video report here that includes what appears to be cellphone clips showing individuals firing shots into the air during the sideshow.

Residents told KTVU they're afraid stray gunfire may hurt someone — or worse.

"I just heard gunshots, like gunshots coming from all directions, people trying to hide. They just fire up in the air, and you don’t know where it’s going to land," a neighbor who asked for anonymity told the station.

Indeed, the resident was one of several neighbors who told KTVU that such sideshows outside their homes near 98th Avenue and Empire Boulevard have become commonplace.

"Like a whole hour. No police. I didn’t hear no sirens at all. ... Some people were on top of that house's roof. There were fireworks included. There were blue lasers, green lasers," a neighbor revealed to the station.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Police Chief Floyd Mitchell have appeared at recent town halls pledging to do more to combat sideshows, KTVU said. Possible solutions include the use of new technology, such as drones and cameras, and the help of the California Highway Patrol, the station said.

"We know that we don’t have enough police officers," the mayor said one recent town hall, according to KTVU. "We can’t afford it, but that doesn’t mean that we use that as an excuse or reason not to be sure that people feel safe."

Mitchell noted that police are "working hard to try to curb this activity. We have a sideshow detail that goes out every Friday and Saturday," the station said.

Mitchell also said redesigned intersections could help, too, but KTVU reported that residents near Saturday's sideshow said they're still waiting to see city leaders keep their promises on this matter.

"I’ve been here my whole life, and it has changed, it has changed so much, and it’s frustrating because it seems like they don’t care," a neighbor told the station.

KTVU said it reached out to police and the mayor's office for comment on the fears and frustrations about area crime that residents have expressed — but the station said it didn't hear back from either in time for its report.

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5 shot during Oakland street takeover; video captures spectators taking cover as gunfire rings out



Five people were shot over the weekend at massive street takeover in Oakland, police said following a preliminary investigation.

Security video captured the car antics as hundreds watched at the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Fruitvale Avenue around 3:40 a.m. Sunday.

'Given that there are no repercussions or consequences that are gonna take place, they come out with their guns blazing.'

The revelry ended when gunshots rang out, and spectators could be seen taking cover behind cars and trees.

Three of the wounded were transported to Highland Hospital while the other two checked themselves into two separate hospitals, Oakland Police Department Sgt. Huy Nguyen said.

Police said they recovered about 90 shell casings from the shooting.

KNTV-TV spoke to business owners and residents who said they were sick and tired of the increasing crime.

"Oakland is becoming more of a safe haven for these crooks," said Hamza Ghalib, owner of the Mohka House restaurant. "Given that there are no repercussions or consequences that are gonna take place, they come out with their guns blazing."

Jose Ortiz, owner of La Perla, said no one wants to invest in new businesses because of the crime.

Organizers and promoters of illegal street car shows face up to six months of jail time and fines of up to $5,000 while participants face car impounds; but critics say the rules aren't being enforced enough to deter the street takeovers.

"The law is very clear that you cannot come here and destroy my streets and my city crosswalks, but I need the police presence," said council member Noel Gallo.

Police said the shooting victims were in stable condition, but no one had been arrested yet for the incident.

KNTV obtained surveillance video showing the incident and published it on the station's YouTube page.

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Sheriff gives punks bad news about 88 cars towed and impounded after major street-takeover bust: 'No need to keep calling'



The sheriff of California's San Joaquin County shared some bad news with the owners of 88 cars that were towed and impounded after a major street-takeover bust last Friday in Stockton.

Seems the little angels in the illegal "sideshow" — which consisted of meeting at a predetermined intersection, blocking it off, and doing endless donuts and other dangerous stuff while a big crowd gawked and recorded it on video — had been calling the sheriff's office and wanting their rides back.

Sheriff Patrick Withrow, however, has a very different plan in mind — and he bluntly told them on video, "No need to keep calling."

First off, authorities are holding on to all the impounded cars "indefinitely until they are processed, and the District Attorney advises they are no longer needed for prosecution," he said. But even worse for the street-takeover connoisseurs was Withrow's promise that "we will be looking into the merits of seeking a destruction order for any vehicle deemed to be a public menace." Ouch.

Check out the sheriff's message below:

What's the background?

KXTV-TV reported that last Friday night's street takeover at the intersection of Country Club Boulevard and Pershing Avenue "ended with crowds of people detained and law enforcement in riot gear."

"It was just an unreal scene from when I got there," Michael Garcia, who lives near Stockton's American Legion Park, told KXTV in regard to the sideshow bust. He added to the station that "people were there sitting down, detained."

Image source: KXTV-TV video screenshot

KXTV said law enforcement stopped nearly all sideshow drivers and participants, which resulted in more than 150 people detained and 88 cars towed away.

Withrow told the station his department used a new tactic to stop the street takeover in its tracks: "They're becoming more and more violent, and so we feel that this is the best way to contain it. We were able to find out ... where it was going to occur and fairly quickly get people in place and then swoop in on all sides of that intersection there."

What's more, Withrow told KXTV that "we've already found guns, firearms, and stuff like that from some of the vehicles at the scene — and from our video evidence, we know that we're going to find a lot more."

As you might guess, not everyone was on board with the street-takeover bust. Meet one guy the station identified as "Nicholas," a sideshow spectator who gave the sheriff and his deputies a piece of his mind: "I think it was a little excessive, to be honest. I don't think it should be this much just for kids sliding around in some cars."

Image source: KXTV-TV video screenshot

Nicholas added to KXTV, "Y'all want the kids to stay out of trouble, y'all want money for the city? Give us a legal pit. We wouldn't be outside if we had a legal pit for real."

The station said deputies seized so many cars that they had to store them outside the sheriff's office's headquarters, which necessitated staff to work overtime in order to prevent anyone from getting to the cars.

Withrow remained unmoved by complaints and doubled down, telling KXTV that street takeovers are "irresponsible, it's criminal, and you're going to be held accountable for it. If you don't want to be held accountable, if you don't want to lose your vehicle, if you don't want to go through all the costs of defending yourself in court, then don't attend these sideshows."

(H/T: The Auto Wire)

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Horrific video: Man beaten to bloody pulp by masked thugs angry he confronted their dangerous intersection takeover



A man was brutally beaten in an attack recorded on video after he confronted a carload of masked thugs for their dangerous intersection takeover in Oakland, California, over the weekend.

So-called "sideshows" involve drivers peeling out and racing in circles within street intersections while crowds form around the drivers, while everyday motorists are forced to wait. The lawless gatherings have resulted in injuries and deaths.

What happened?

Video shows the beatdown victim during Sunday's sideshow throwing a bucket at one of the cars involved — and as you might expect, the occupants got out and attacked the man:

\u201cA man was assaulted after trying to put an end to a Sideshow by throwing a Home Depot bucket at a car in front of Nasan Market on Adeline Street in Oakland, CA \ud83d\udea8\u201d
— OAKLAND STATE OF MIND (@OAKLAND STATE OF MIND) 1682989918

A separate video shows the full brutal attack as the man is knocked to the sidewalk and repeatedly punched and kicked as a surrounding crowd howls like it's a movie — and, of course, they turn it into one after pulling out their cell phones and recording it.

No one helps the motionless man as blood drips down his cheeks. The viciousness wasn't enough, though: One of the attackers pulls the victim to his knees and kicks him twice in the buttocks.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @ppv_tahoe

Of course, the sideshow intersection takeover continued.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @ppv_tahoe

Soon someone yells at the victim, "You got knocked the f*** out!" — and apparently the bucket he originally threw at the car is placed over his head.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @ppv_tahoe

Here's the video of the beatdown. Content warning: Readers may find the attack disturbing; profanity and racial slurs are uttered as well:

\u201cOakland, California. \u2014 (@ppv_tahoe) Man assaulted at Sideshow in front of Nasan Market on Adeline Street. #sideshow #oakland #news #ppv_tahoe\u201d
— PPV-TAHOE - News Journalist (@PPV-TAHOE - News Journalist) 1682951393

What else?

According to KTVU-TV, the attack took place at 34th and Adeline Streets, and the victim's condition could not be confirmed Monday. The station added that Oakland police indicated they are aware of the attack and added that there were numerous sideshows across the city Sunday — which resulted in one arrest, a recovered gun, and a pair of towed cars.

Another sideshow video at the 34th and Adeline intersection shows a skidding red Mustang hitting at least two onlookers as well as fire hydrant, after which water shoots into the air.

Oakland City Councilmember Noel Gallo, who has been trying to crack down on sideshows for years, told KTVU that people shouldn't try to stop the sideshows: "Please do not, you know, interfere. Let the police officers respond to that."

Well, a police vehicle at a different Oakland intersection was recorded on video not dealing with the sideshow participants but instead carefully navigating around them and then leaving the intersection. KTVU said the intersection in question is 42nd Avenue and International Boulevard:

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Image source: YouTube screenshot

A woman who recorded the video of the separate sideshow spoke glowingly about what was described as a "cultural Bay Area phenomenon."

"You know, after the fact, you're like, 'Oh my God. I saw this. This is great. This is Oakland." She added, however, that innocent bystanders do pay a price for it.

Oakland sideshow blocks busy intersection youtu.be

Anything else?

Police also told KTVU they are investigating an assault against a driver during Sunday's International Boulevard and 42nd Avenue sideshow.

Councilmember Gallo added to the station that "we're not trying to criminalize, we're trying to protect the residents of Oakland. We're just trying to enforce the laws that we have and make it not only safe for the community, but also safe for the individuals that are involved in the sideshow."

Oh, and an April 23 sideshow on the Bay Bridge brought traffic from Oakland to San Francisco to a standstill as about 100 motorcyclists popped wheelies and did donuts across all bridge lanes, KTVU said.

Sideshow shuts down Bay Bridge youtu.be

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Footage captures moment a man gets slammed by car during another anarchical 'street takeover' in Democrat-run California



On October 6 around 11:30 p.m., a man was struck by a car at the intersection of Valley View Street and Artesia Boulevard in Buena Park, California. That was but one of three takeovers that beset Orange County that night. Police also responded to similar anarchic, illegal events in Anaheim and Costa Mesa.

It is unknown whether the individual seen in the video getting hammered by a drifting Mercedes Benz was taken to hospital. Persons injured — but not critically so — at takeovers rarely report the incidents to law enforcement for fear of incrimination.

Man hit by car during street takeover in Orange County youtu.be


At the intersection of South Sunkist Street and Cerritos Avenue in Anaheim, participants used accelerants to create a circle of fire, in which some stood and others drove around.

On October 2, another man was plowed by a car performing donuts at the intersection of Main Street and Harrison Street in San Francisco.

\u201cA car that was drifting and spinning donuts during a sideshow in #California struck a person who got too close to the vehicle. \u201cThe man literally got hit and run over. And the cars continued to do donut burnouts.\u201d\n\n #sideshow #streettakeover\nVIA foxla\u201d
— Alfa News (@Alfa News) 1664919276

One witness told KRON4: "Someone gets hit, falls over and then you see this car come back, runs over his foot, he loses his shoe, his phone breaks. This kid is limping back and it's just scary."

These potentially lethal sideshows are called "street takeovers."

A street takeover involves a semi-coordinated swarming of a particular intersection by motorists and spectators. Once traffic is illegally constricted in the surrounding area, admitted drivers perform dangerous stunts while bystanders either watch or tempt fate in the impromptu stunt staging area, where donuts are usually performed.

Frequently, hundreds of spectators flock to takeovers, some hindering the efforts of police and first responders to restore order.

\u201cMAKING IT RAIN: A wild street takeover in Compton was caught on video, which shows someone standing on top of a car and apparently throwing money in the air. https://t.co/Qx9gSmUXPV\u201d
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7 Eyewitness News) 1664833869

The Los Angeles Police Department described the pedestrian element in these events as a "flash mob," whereby "a large public gathering at which people perform an unusual or seemingly random act and then disperse," is coordinated via social media. KTLA reported that "rendezvous points" are declared on social media ahead of time to ensure sizable crowds.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore indicated that part of the allure of takeovers, extra to participants' motivation to "garner attention and to get clicks or likes" on social media, is that proponents can "monetize [their videos] by attracting crowds."

The LAPD noted that oftentimes, flash mobs turn "from fun spontaneous events to opportunistic criminal occurrences."

None
— JBidensearpiece F-15 Fighter Pilot MAGA Republican (@JBidensearpiece F-15 Fighter Pilot MAGA Republican) 1661545725

In one of numerous instances of a takeover turning lethal, a teenage boy was gunned down on August 15 amidst a so-called street race.

The LA Times reported by late August, at least six people had been killed during or near street takeovers in the city, including two women killed in a car crash near a Compton event.

In August, an individual armed with a machete confronted elements of a takeover near Haster Street and Orangewood Avenue in Anaheim. Police ultimately dispersed the crowd.

\u201cAngry resident shows up to street takeover with a machete.\nIf our elected officials and law-enforcement won\u2019t do anything about this dangerous issue, the people will. \nThe results will not be pretty.\u201d
— Kevin Dalton (@Kevin Dalton) 1661440241

A 60-year-old man was shot during a south Los Angeles street takeover on September 18.

Although not a new phenomenon, KTLA reported that takeovers grew more common during the COVID-19 pandemic and continued in popularity even after restrictions were lifted.

Last month, LAPD Chief Moore said that police were "working aggressively everyday" to clamp down on these "reckless acts." Despite impounding at least 457 cars, making over 500 arrests and issuing over 674 citations this year, the problem persists.

Moore called on state lawmakers to "stiffen the penalties."

Moore told the Police Commission on September 13 that he was recommending to Los Angeles' Democrat Mayor Eric Garcetti that the city should implement a 30-day impound of vehicles involved in the takeovers with no waiver, driver's license suspensions, points added to DMV records and other penalties.

On September 19, Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bipartisan bill to ban street takeovers.

Republican California Assemblyman Vince Fong, who co-authored the bill, stated, "There are countless stories every week throughout California about illegal street races and dangerous sideshows shutting down streets, causing accidents, damaging neighborhoods, and endangering lives."

Los Angeles has had over 705 street takeovers this year.