Preparations for Clive Davis‘ famed pre-Grammy party came to a grinding halt Thursday morning as cops busted an armed man at the Waldorf Astoria … TMZ has learned.
The Waldorf is right next door to the Beverly Hilton — where Clive’s event is held — and cops swarmed the area after getting a call shortly after 9:30 AM for a disturbance at the hotel. We’re told a drone was deployed over the Waldorf, and spotted the gunman standing on a hotel room balcony.
Cops immediately shut down one of all traffic around the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevard — one of L.A.’s busiest intersections — and deployed SWAT officers around the hotels.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … cops made contact with the guy in his hotel room and convinced him to surrender peacefully — but once inside, they discovered he had already shot up the room.
The man was actually firing the gun while police were outside the room … according to witnesses at the hotel.
Once he was in custody, we’re told the gunman was booked for felony possession of a firearm and negligent discharge of the firearm.
Our sources say the weapons was a handgun with an extended magazine.
Luckily, no one was injured at the hotel.
The area will be heavily trafficked by media and celebs leading up to Clive’s party Saturday night — attendees have to pick up credentials ahead of the event.
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Police re-opened the area after making the arrest. As of now, it doesn’t appear the gunman made any direct threats related to the pre-Grammy party.