A police officer was injured in a scuffle with a man this afternoon in downtown Long Beach, prompting a large police response blocks away from the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
The incident began around 2:45 p.m. near the intersection of First Street and Pacific Avenue.
A woman who saw it unfold said a man was arguing with a group of younger men and “looking like they were about to fight.”
Officers arrived and attempted to calm down the situation, but one of the men attacked an officer, hitting him over the head with what appeared to be a rock wrapped in a metal chain, the woman said.
One officer was taken to a hospital for treatment of what appeared to be a cut to his forehead, according to multiple witnesses at the scene.
The suspected attacker was detained near the intersection and also taken to a hospital for treatment. No details about the man were immediately available.
The scuffle prompted a rapid police response, with at least a dozen police cars at the scene blocking off nearby streets.
The Grand Prix, which runs Friday through Sunday, is among Long Beach’s biggest events all year.