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Jan 30, 2008 11:31 pm US/Pacific
Spears Being Held At UCLA Medical Center
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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Britney Spears has been taken to UCLA Medical Center for psychiatric care. (file)
Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images
Britney Spears was taken from her Studio City home in an ambulance Thursday, reportedly on orders from a psychiatrist who arranged for her to be placed on a "mental health evaluation hold" at UCLA Medical Center.
The ambulance, more than a dozen Los Angeles Police Department motorcycles and at least five LAPD squad cars reportedly entered the hilltop property where Spears resides shortly before 1 a.m.
Some 10 minutes later, Spears, 26, was taken off the property by ambulance through a side gate, followed by police units.
Spears was calm and silent as she waited for police and paramedics to arrive, and was not resistant when placed on the gurney, according to TMZ.com.
It was the second time this month that Spears has been placed on a 72-hour welfare hold. The first occurred on Jan. 3, when Spears -- family members have been quoted as saying she suffers from bipolar disorder -- refused to turn over her two boys to ex-husband Kevin Federline after a visit.
Authorities said the latest welfare hold was prompted by a telephone call they received from Spear's psychiatrist, the Los Angeles Times reported. He felt that Spears was a danger to herself and others because of her reckless driving and "downhill behavior", according to TMZ.com
The newly hired psychiatrist practices out of UCLA Medical Center. The last time Spears was placed on a medical hold, she was treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
The plan to get Spears into UCLA Medical Center had been in the works for days, according to various media reports. One early report indicated that the Federal Aviation Administration had cleared airspace along the route to the hospital, but Ian Gregor of the FAA said the agency had no knowledge or involvement in the Spears transport.
The convoy to the hospital was reportedly followed overhead by police helicopters.
Police blocked several roads leading to the hospital to prevent paparazzi and reporters from trying to follow Spears' arrival, according to camera crews.
Spears' parents, Jamie and Lynne, were told recently they were no longer making medical decisions on behalf of Britney, TMZ.com reported. This was reportedly a decision made by Spears through her lawyers following her stay at Cedars-Sinai.
It now appears doctors at UCLA are working with Sam Lufti, Spears' manager and companion, and not her parents. Spears' father reportedly screamed at Lufti in the hospital hallways and accused him of trying to control his daughter's mind, TMZ.com reported.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
