By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- • A U-Haul truck was driven into a crowd of protesters at an Iran-related demonstration in Los Angeles’ Westwood neighborhood on Jan. 11, 2026, and the driver was taken into police custody.
- • Los Angeles Police Department officers formed a perimeter to keep demonstrators from attacking the suspect as tensions escalated after the vehicle stopped.
- • One person was struck by the truck but did not suffer serious injuries; two others were evaluated at the scene and declined treatment, authorities said.
- • LAPD Captain Richard Gabaldon said officers are investigating and considering possible assault with a deadly weapon charges.
- • The protest was part of larger demonstrations in support of people in Iran amid ongoing unrest in the Middle East.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles Police Department officers restrained a crowd and secured a suspect after a U-Haul truck was driven into a group of demonstrators Sunday afternoon during a protest in support of the Iranian people, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 3:30 p.m. Jan. 11 along Veteran Avenue near the Wilshire Federal Building in Westwood, where several hundred protesters gathered to show solidarity with protest movements abroad.
Police said the U-Haul was driven into the crowded street, prompting demonstrators to scramble for safety and then surround the vehicle. Officers intervened and kept the crowd back as they detained the driver several blocks from the site of the protest.
One person was struck by the U-Haul but did not suffer serious injuries, and two others were evaluated by paramedics at the scene but declined treatment, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
LAPD Capt. Richard Gabaldon said the department is treating the case as an open traffic investigation and may pursue assault with a deadly weapon charges against the driver, whose identity has not been released.
Officers eventually issued a dispersal order as the protest continued into the evening. The demonstration was part of a wider wave of protests linked to ongoing unrest in Iran, where activists report significant casualties amid nationwide demonstrations.