Covering the Michael Jackson memorial

Eyewitness News reporter Christine Dobbyn is covering the Michael Jackson memorial in Los Angeles. Below is the report she filed for abc13.com on Monday afternoon.

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Fans gather outside the Staples Center in what will be their last chance to be close to the venue where the king of pops life will be celebrated tomorrow.

Several hundred fans are congregating here to sign two large billboards outside the arena. Large risers are outside as media from around the world report on Michael Jackson's memorial. We met journalists from Japan, Germany and Italy within the first fifteen minutes. It is truly a worldwide story.

When we interviewed LAPD Captain Bill Murphy, he even commented on the media. The police here are used to dealing with big events, but he said this one is a bit different because it is a memorial service.

At LA Dodger Stadium, fans who were fortunate enough to get tickets picked them up via a drive thru assembly that ran incredibly smoothly. Police said there haven't been any arrests. Fans had to show ID and a voucher with their name before picking up the ticket and golden wristband that must be worn to get within a mile of the Staples Center.

Police are doing what they can to prevent any scalping, positioning undercover officers near Dodger Stadium and the Staples Center. It is unusual to see tickets handed out for someone's funeral and the reaction of those picking them up -- Some honked, hollered and even used the word 'excited' to describe how they felt, but we also heard this word used a lot - 'history.'

Hear from fans attending tomorrow's memorial tonight on Eyewitness News at 10pm.