Heard over the police scanner, North Hollywood LAPD patrol units were dispatched to Studio City hills where "shots fired" were reported early this morning. The LAPD dispatchers were busy fielding over a dozen 911 calls from residences near the intersection of Dona Maria Drive and Fryman Road, then dispatching numerous emergency calls to responding patrol units.
At the time when the gunshots were heard, and when police were responding, a witness reported seeing a "tan SUV" speeding away from the area, and reported it going westbound on Mullholland Drive and heading toward Coldwater Canyon Avenue.
At that moment, an LAPD helicopter was above, and spotted a light-colored SUV that matched the description of the fleeing vehicle. The helicopter tailed the SUV and several more LAPD patrol cars were dispatched to apprehend the SUV. Radio calls directed the patrol cars to stop the vehicle near the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Coldwater Canyon, inside the Ralphs parking lot.
When the helicopter unit decided there were sufficient patrol cars surrounding the stopped vehicle, (around eight patrol cars were seen) LAPD officers were then directed to approach the SUV and order the occupants out of the vehicle.
When Patch arrived at the scene, four men and one woman were seen (all who appeared to be in their early 20s) handcuffed and being interrogated near the patrol cars, all of them were separated from each other and groups of officers questioned each individually.
The SUV was then searched, and over the police scanner, officers at the scene reported that they did not find a gun on the detained people or inside the vehicle.
After driver license identification and police criminal database checks, police on the scene uncuffed the group, and one police officer was seen talking to them before they were free to go back in their vehicle and drive away.
No further reports were given by police over the scanner about the gunshots heard near Dona Maria Drive and Fryman Road.
