Crowd near Nipsey's Marathon clothing store break through police barriers during funeral procession
(FOX 11) - A crowd at the Nipsey Hussle funeral procession route panicked, broke down the barrier walls and started stampeding at the corner of Slauson and Crenshaw near The Marathon Clothing Store in South LA on Thursday.
'UPDATE: At this time we believe a loud noise startled the crowd at the intersection of Slauson and Crenshaw. We understand emotions may be running high, but we are asking all attendees to remain calm and continue to peacefully mourn as the Nipsey Hussle procession approaches.'
Hussle, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, was praised by loved ones in the "Celebration of Life" service for his work to revitalize his community and featured performances by Marsha Ambrosius, Anthony Hamilton, Jhene Aiko and Stevie Wonder.
The 33-year-old was shot and killed on March 31. The man suspected of killing him, Eric Holder, has been charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder.
FOX 11's Bill Melugin is live at the scene and will provide updates as the story develops.
Police formed skirmish lines to push the crowd back, and appeared to restore order without arrests or major injuries.
More officers were brought in as the procession neared the location to help keep the street clear.
As the procession approached the store around 5:40 p.m., a security team encircled the hearse and walked alongside the vehicle to escort it through the crowd and allow it to keep moving -- at a crawling pace.
As the hearse moved into the area, the boisterous crowd became respectfully calm, with spectators lifting their cell phones to snap photos.
The convoy repeated came to a stop when people pushed too far into the street, blocking the hearse's path.
CNS contributed to this story.