En route to hospital, cops codename Spears ‘The Package’
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) — Pop star Britney Spears was taken to a hospital early Thursday to get help, a law-enforcement official in Los Angeles told CNN.
The North Hollywood Police Department sent about eight officers to Spears’ hilltop house in Studio City, California, about 12:55 a.m. Thursday, according to the official, who asked not to be identified because he’s not authorized to comment publicly.
The group at Spears’ house included plainclothes officers, motorcycle police, ambulance crews and some police brass, the official said.
It took the better part of the day to arrange the transport plan, the officer said. Watch reporter describe scene at Spears’ home
The Los Angeles Times reported that the pop star was taken to UCLA Medical Center .This is Spears’ second hospital visit this month, coming just weeks after she reportedly underwent a psychological evaluation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Watch how mental evaluations work
Andrew Blankstein, a Los Angeles Times reporter who was at the scene, told CNN that a police convoy, stretching the length of a football field, accompanied the ambulance as it drove down Coldwater Canyon Boulevard — in part to keep the paparazzi from getting too close. Watch police motorcade at Spears’ home
Spears was whisked out a side entrance to her house.
You couldn’t really see what was going on [when officers first swept into the residence] but on the police radio, there was some reference to ‘The package is on the way out,’ ‘We’re leaving now. Go, go, go,’ Blankstein said.
A few hours earlier, two officers were sent to investigate a report of a large group gathered outside the singer’s home, said David Grimes, watch commander for the west division of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The two officers found 20 to 25 people near the house around 11 p.m. Wednesday and they asked them to leave, he said. See Spears timeline
ABC-TV host Barbara Walters reported on Monday’s The View that she had been contacted by Spears’ manager and good friend, Sam Lutfi, who told her the pop star has seen a psychiatrist and is suffering from what he describes as mental issues which are treatable, according to The Associated Press. Watch experts discuss Spears’ behavioral issues
On January 3, Spears was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to see if she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs and for a psychological evaluation. Police had been called to her home that night to mediate a custody dispute. See dramatic photos of the January 3 incident
A day later, a California court refused to grant Spears visitation rights with her two children — Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1 — at least until mid-February.
Spears has been in a heated dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline over custody of their sons. Federline, Spears’ former backup dancer, holds primary custody of the children.
Spears has been in trouble with the court earlier concerning her compliance with court orders in the custody case.
After filing for divorce in November 2006, Spears was frequently seen enjoying Hollywood nightlife. Her behavior became increasingly erratic; in February 2007, she shaved her head as paparazzi looked on, then spent a month in rehab.
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