LAPD Sets Off Massive Fireworks Explosion In Residential Neighborhood—Then Says Cause Is “Unknown”

The Los Angeles Police Department is feeling the heat after their decision to confiscate tons of illegal fireworks quite literally exploded in their face.

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Roughly 5000 pounds of fireworks were taken from a home in South LA, 10 of which were slated for controlled detonation. For some reason, the police apparently decided to do this in an armored truck in the middle of a residential neighborhood in South LA — and it did not go according to plan.

The ensuing explosion rocked the neighborhood, blowing out windows of nearby houses and cars, and resulting in an evacuation of the area. At least 17 people were injured, 10 of whom were LAPD officers, and all but one was taken to the hospital.

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The LAPD said on Wednesday night that “some of the fireworks were being stored in our Bomb Squad trailer as a precautionary measure,” and that it is “unknown at this time what caused an explosion,” which many took to mean that they didn’t intend to set off the explosives at all.

Hey is there a tip line where we can send information about what caused the explosion? Would love to be able to clear up that it was the police.

— Sophia Benoit (@1followernodad) July 1, 2021

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However, multiple reporters on scene said that they were moved back and heard multiple calls of “fire in the hole” prior to the blast, suggesting that the LAPD purposely detonated explosives in a residential neighborhood, and just seriously messed it up.

You cordoned off an area in a RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD and INVITED THE PRESS. And it backfired. No pun intended.

— zarinah (@zar_inah) July 1, 2021

They announced earlier they planned to blow them up on scene and even invited media to film it. Seems they’re trying to pretend otherwise now that they blew up their own bomb disposal truck and injured 5 people.https://t.co/0V149e5jL0

— Craig (@user14201) July 1, 2021

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“Clearly, protocols were followed and pursued,” LAPD Chief Michel Moore claimed. “But something happened in that containment vessel that should not have happened and we don’t know why.”

Los Angeles is one of many U.S. cities currently grappling with the role police play in day-to-day life, and such a catastrophic failure — and one that ultimately caused a lot of damage to a neighborhood predominantly inhabited by BIPOC — hasn’t done anything to convince Angelenos the LAPD needs that $1.7 billion budget.

if we abolish the police, who will show up to accidentally detonate 5,000 pounds of fireworks in the middle of a residential area

— peek, the fully vaccinated deer (@PK_PDX) July 1, 2021

even among the sordid ranks of the police, LA cops strike me as a particularly toxic mix of incompetent and malicious

— surasshu (@surasshu) July 1, 2021

They did it in a residential neighborhood, under massive trees and power lines, surrounded by civilian vehicles and homes, and they called the media in to watch. They did it all for fucking PR.

(Alt text for QRT in OP replies.)https://t.co/Yqqll8a3YD

— Sharyn Blum (@sleepyknave) July 1, 2021

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Meanwhile, the 27-year-old man who was allegedly intending to sell the fireworks for the Fourth of July has been arrested and is being held on $500,000 bail, and his 10-year-old brother has been taken out of the home as the Department of Children and Family Services investigates. Residents of at least 12 other homes in the area have been displaced due to the blast.

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*First Published: July 1, 2021, 7:35 am