Police: We Did Not Don Riot Gear at Airport Rave

Police shut down late Tuesday night a concert by English dubstep DJ and producer Flux Pavilion at the Santa Monica Airport that "quickly grew out of control."

Initial reports on Twitter and from at least one news outlet said the approximately 3,000 party-goers were met by officers in riot gear, but a Santa Monica Police spokesman said they wore only their helmets.

Two officers and a firefighter were assigned to work Tuesday's event at Hangar 8. It was to have been attended by between 400 and 1,500 people, according to the permit secured by MTV, said Santa Monica police Officer Shaun Dove, who reported that the permit application described the show as an "executive event."

It was "not billed to us as a rave party, which it was," said spokesman Sgt. Richard Lewis.

The officers working the event "determined it was over-crowded and the line was excessive and growing, the streets were packed, traffic was stopped," said Lewis. "It was unsafe."

The dubstep producer said via his Twitter account, "So . . . Helicopters and LAPD with riot gear outside this airport hangar right now." And, later, "Wow I'm gobsmacked truly. All I can say is, you guys are the reason I'm here, your support means the world to me."

The police estimated there were 400 to 700 people inside the hangar, with another 2,000 in line.

They called in assistance from police departments in Beverly hills, Culver City, Los Angeles, Inglewood and Santa Monica College to break up the party.

A 20-year-old and 21-year-old were arrested on suspicion of public intoxication.

Here are additional reports from Twitter:

• @wolfman3: "Whole day dreaming now"fluxpavilion - Cops can't stop this shit now @ Santa Monica Airport Hangar 8 http://t.co/vjVD33iQ

• @JesseLeeDF: Santa Monica PD and Culver City PD can't shut us down http://t.co/iVkMU2bY

"When we started to lock it down, the attendees, who were mostly youths, starting jumping the airport fences and started running onto the airport grounds... which is a federal offense," Lewis said.

Less than 800 people made it inside to the see the show, Dove said, adding the decision to disperse the crowd outside was based on the fact that there were more people lined up than the permitted capacity, with more arriving "by the minute." 

The event was allowed to conclude, ending just before midnight without further incident, Dove said.

Santa Monica resident Leslie Lee told Patch on Twitter that he could see four helicopters from his home near the airport. "Hoping the activity won't last too long."

Another resident reported the commotion dying down by midnight.

"The whole area around Santa Monica Airport looks like Hollywood Boulevard right now," Kevin Mastman wrote in an email. There's "a bunch of clubby and half naked people walking around Overland and Bundy. A little out of place."

Hangar 8 is a private aviation terminal used as an event venue and location for music video and television productions. At the north end of the airport, it spans 11 acres, according to its website.

— City News Service contributed to this report.

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