Mr. Chen, a recent immigrant from mainland China, has been in Southern California for a month, excited to meet his newborn grandchildren. However, he finds himself struggling to adapt, feeling uneasy about the safety environment in the U.S. Every day, as he takes walks, he stays hyper-vigilant, “keeping an eye out in all directions,” as he puts it. Recently, he had a frightening experience when he witnessed a police chase unfold right outside his home. The sound of sirens and helicopters combined with police vehicles crashing through the neighborhood left him shaken and sleepless.
Mr. Chen lives in a gated community in Baldwin Park, Los Angeles County. He recalls that on the night of October 14, shortly after 11 PM, he was on his computer when suddenly, he heard multiple police sirens. Initially, he thought it was just noise from the street, but the sound grew louder and closer, accompanied by the whirring of a helicopter overhead. “The helicopter felt so close; it seemed like it was right above me,” he said. Eventually, several police cars parked about 20 feet from his front door. Realizing something serious was happening, he quickly turned off all the lights in his house and noticed the red and blue flashes reflecting on the ceiling. “It was so loud, it felt like I was in a movie,” he described.
In a panic, Mr. Chen locked the doors leading to the backyard and garage, then cautiously peeked through the curtains to see what was going on. At that moment, his son came downstairs to check the situation. After about five minutes, the sirens stopped, and several neighbors came out to investigate. When his son suggested stepping outside to find out more, Mr. Chen, fearing the intruder might be armed, urged him to stay inside.
That night, anxiety kept Mr. Chen awake, with the police vehicles lingering nearby and their flashing lights creating a tense atmosphere. He wasn’t sure when he finally managed to fall asleep.
The next morning, Mr. Chen learned from a WeChat neighborhood group that the police were in pursuit of a suspect who had driven into their gated community but was intercepted at the other end. Videos shared in the group showed at least four police cars chasing a pickup truck, which had stopped behind a damaged gate. The helicopter continued to circle overhead, adding to the chaos. In recent years, the predominantly Hispanic neighborhood has seen a growing number of Chinese residents, now making up about one-fifth of the community.
Mr. Chen expressed his concerns, sharing that he often sees news about gun violence in America, which deepens his sense of insecurity. Having been in the U.S. for just a month, he handles the nightly task of taking out the trash, but every time he hears loud noises outside—often just fireworks—he’s too scared to go out, even though his son reassures him. “Everything in America is pretty good, but guns are a major problem,” Mr. Chen said, lamenting that conflicts between people can quickly escalate to violence with dire consequences.
