Actor Keegan Allen Blasts Newsom, Bass After Armed Robbery

Actor Keegan Allen publicly challenged California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass after being robbed at gunpoint and knifepoint outside a West Hollywood grocery store, questioning the efficacy of surveillance cameras in preventing crime.

Allen, 37, posted on Instagram late Thursday, expressing hope that the Flock camera network, championed by Bass and Newsom, could help apprehend his attackers. "Let’s hope all these flock cameras that @karenbassla @gavinnewsom and everyone thinks will stop crime can find these very dangerous criminals. God bless," he wrote, sharing security footage of the incident.

The actor stated the encounter left him bloodied and without his watch, lamenting that West Hollywood was "not safe anymore."

While the Mayor's Office and the Los Angeles Police Department do not have direct jurisdiction in West Hollywood, they play roles in regional safety. Bass's office responded to the incident, calling it "egregious" and emphasizing that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is leading the investigation, with the LAPD offering assistance as needed.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported that deputies responded to the scene at approximately 9:05 p.m. Thursday. Allen informed deputies that two suspects, dressed in black, approached him. One allegedly brandished a "silver handgun" while the other displayed a knife, demanding his watch and bracelet. According to the department, Allen was then struck in the face with the handgun before the suspects fled in an unknown vehicle with his watch.

Allen sustained a "laceration to his forehead" during the assault and reported feeling "def concussed." While checked by Los Angeles County Fire personnel at the scene, he stated he later went to the hospital.

It remains unclear if Flock cameras will be utilized in the investigation, as the Sheriff's Department declined to comment on the matter. Flock cameras, which scan license plates, have been a subject of controversy in California due to privacy concerns and data-sharing practices with federal immigration authorities.

Mayor Bass has previously expressed reservations about Flock, stating in August that the company had "lost the trust of Angelenos and residents across the country, especially in immigrant communities targeted by the federal administration." The LAPD suspended its contract with Flock in July amid ongoing negotiations.

Gov. Newsom vetoed legislation last year that aimed to restrict police use of such data and impose stricter handling requirements.

Allen is known for his role as Toby Cavanaugh in the Freeform series "Pretty Little Liars" (2010-2017) and as Liam Walker in The CW's "Walker" (2021-2024).