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Los Angeles police: ’90s rap group seeking comeback posted video of gun flashed near officer

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LOS ANGELES _ A video posted online that shows someone flash a loaded gun while filming a police officer is an attempt at publicity from an old hip-hop group looking to find new relevance, but it has still led to an investigation and at least one arrest, Los Angeles police said Tuesday.

The video posted to Instagram and widely circulated on Twitter was first treated as a threat by high-level detectives at the LAPD when the department became aware of it Thursday. But the department said in a statement that it has determined the purpose was entertainment.

“The investigation revealed that the film was made by members of an early 1990s rap group no longer in fashion,” the statement said, and was “posted on social media to ignite a comeback.”

Police have not released the name of the group or the names of the suspects.

The brief, soundless video is shot from inside a car parked behind a police cruiser in downtown Los Angeles. It shows the police car, then moves to the person’s lap and shows the loaded gun, which the person then hides under a bag or piece of clothing. It then moves back to the police car, where it shows a uniformed officer get out and walk away.

Police said they believe the video was shot in early September.

Detectives identified the vehicle and the suspects who were inside, police said.

Chief Charlie Beck said at a police commission meeting that a secondary suspect had been arrested on a previous property crime warrant and that police were negotiating with the primary suspect’s attorney for him to surrender.

“The individual knows that he’s wanted,” Beck said. “The individual knows who he is and that he should turn himself in.”

Beck said the primary suspect has been previously convicted of carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle, the same charge he’d face if arrested in connection with the video.

After police saw the video late last week, Beck said officers were issued a safety bulletin and that one-person police cars were restricted over the weekend.

The Associated Press

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