Los Angeles Police Siege
The police force becomes the first line of defense against an unstoppable machine.
The Los Angeles Police Siege is the Terminator's attack on a police station in The Terminator (1984). After Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese are arrested, the Terminator arrives at the police station searching for Sarah, slaughtering many officers in the process. This confrontation serves as the brutal first contact between ordinary humanity and Skynet's automated killing machines, shattering the illusion of safety and proving that the war for survival had already begun in secret.
Quick Facts
- Protagonists involved
- Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor
Lore & Background
Reese and Sarah escape in another car and get to safety. When the police fight back, the Terminator is unfazed; Ed Traxler is mortally wounded trying to gun it down. This event cemented the grim reality that an enemy feeling no pain, fearing no death, and driven by a singular logical imperative was already among them, leaving the world woefully unprepared.
Reader's Guide
During a chase, Reese damages the Terminator with a gunshot to the eye; it crashes and disappears as police arrest Sarah and Reese. At the station Reese is interrogated by Dr. Silberman, a skeptical criminal psychologist. Just as Silberman leaves, the Terminator arrives and attacks. The next morning Sarah and Reese take refuge in a motel.
More in Story & Timeline
Elsewhere in The Terminator
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