The LAPD has released shocking footage capturing a fatal shootout between officers and a gunman at a motel.
Videos by Suggest
The incident, as reported by the LAPD via local outlet ABC 7, occurred around 10:15 p.m. on December 29 at the Vantage Point Inn, located on Ventura Boulevard near Topanga Canyon Boulevard and the 101 Freeway.
Officers responded to reports of an armed man at a motel, where his alarming behavior left guests deeply shaken.
The LAPD Responds to a Chaotic Scene at a Motel
Witnesses described the man as naked and shouting angrily outside his room, his disturbing tirade and mentions of weapons prompting terrified guests to call 911.
“He’s in the room next door to me,” one of the distressed 911 callers told operators. “He’s screaming about his gun and he’s out there screaming. I looked out the window barely and I saw him. And we did see him with a gun and he’s walking past our window.”
A harrowing motel gun battle as a naked man rages in his room before storming out, armed with a firearm and shooting wildly. When LAPD officers arrive at the Woodland Hills motel, a shootout erupts. The heart-stopping new video – Tonight at 11 from ABC7. https://t.co/bEddOvGoJR pic.twitter.com/LOAodQ20io
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) February 1, 2025
When police arrived at the scene, a man identified as Benjamin Prince emerged from his room armed with two guns. Security footage captures him walking along the second-floor walkway before abruptly firing a shot at someone below. The individual quickly flees the area.
Police cruisers arrive on Ventura Boulevard, only to be met with a hail of gunfire. The officers swiftly return fire, engaging in a tense exchange.
“Officer needs help, officer needs help, shots fired,” an officer exclaims in the footage.
Prince sought cover behind a stairwell but repeatedly emerged to fire at officers, prompting them to return fire each time.
LAPD SWAT Officers Are Called into the Scene Following Shooting
The SWAT team arrived at the scene but couldn’t make contact with Prince. When they entered, they found he had died from a gunshot wound during the exchange of gunfire with police.
Officers recovered two air rifles capable of firing metallic ammunition. The suspect was identified as Prince, a 47-year-old resident of Redding.
An investigation into the use of force is currently in progress.