Two men spotted carrying rifles and wearing military gear in Inglewood overnight were taken into custody following a traffic stop Tuesday morning.
Police received reports about some armed men in the area of Crenshaw Boulevard between West Century Boulevard and Imperial Highway just after 11 p.m. Monday, said Lt. Held with the Inglewood Police Department.
Video from the scene showed the men walking around in camouflage, carrying rifles and shouting messages about racism.
Police arrived at the scene and monitored the men as they walked around the neighborhood.
“Right now we are giving a peaceful demonstration. Nobody’s being shot. Nobody’s being brutalized. We’re out here just exposing racism, white supremacy,” one of the men told KTLA.
Both men then showed their rifles on camera before putting them, apparently unloaded, into the back of a black vehicle. The men then got into the vehicle.
It was unclear if the firearms were loaded at any point during the incident, but police remained on alert.
“We don’t recommend anyone to walk around in public, day or night, with a firearm in plain view,” said Inglewood police Sgt. Geoffrey Meeks.
At about 7 a.m., police pulled two men over in Lakeview Terrace, aerial video from Sky5 showed.
The men were believed to be the same two who were walking around in Inglewood earlier, said Los Angeles Police Department Officer Liliana Preciado.
One of the men removed his shirt and sat down on a curb with his pants around his ankles before being apprehended, video showed.
The second man was struck by a rubber bullet and then taken into custody, Preciado said.
Police were going to question the men, but it was unclear if any charges would be filed, Preciado said.
KTLA’s Alberto Mendez contributed to this report.