[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]s peaceful protests have continued in Los Angeles, numerous allegations and videos of police misconduct have begun surfacing on social media and in the conversations of Angelenos.
In particular, following a day of peaceful protesting at Mayor Eric Garcetti’s house, two videos were shared on social media that alarmed some residents.
In one video, a patrol car that L.A. Taco has identified as an L.A. County Sheriff Deputy patrol vehicle is seen making a sharp turn in an unspecified part of the county. A group of people is seen walking towards the patrol vehicle as something unintelligible is announced on a loudspeaker.
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“Sooo #LAPD doing drive bys now?” W-T-F?🤷🏾♂️ #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #Protest
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Then the group of people abruptly turn in the opposite direction as a deputy leans out of the window of the patrol car, firing what are presumed to be non-lethal rounds at the group, before backing up, almost striking a car and continuing down the street after them.
And in another video shot near the corner of Wilton and Rosewood, a caravan of roughly a dozen LAPD officers are seen jumping out of a sprinter van typically used as “paddy wagons”, vehicles that are used to round up arrestees, and immediately begin approaching several individuals on the corner. Several officers descend on a pickup truck, opening all of the doors almost immediately before detaining the driver and several passengers.
L.A. Taco reached out to the LAPD media relations division but the department couldn’t offer any details on the incident. “We are not familiar with that particular incident. We are not made aware of every incident that occurs in the city, especially during these unprecedented times and very dynamic situations.”
These videos surfaced as reports of police misconduct have swelled across the country. On Saturday, a protest that began peacefully at Pan Pacific Park escalated into a tense and violent situation that left people bruised, bloodied, and angered.
this video was shared with me directly. This is right on Wilton & Rosewood where an LAPD van rolled up and started pulling people out of cars and arresting residents earlier this evening. This is not right @MayorOfLA this is what we’re fighting against pic.twitter.com/kcxUfiZSh7
— David A. Gallardo (@davidgallardo) June 3, 2020
The following day, police chief Michel Moore admitted that he observed some interactions with his officers and protestors on Saturday that alarmed him. There have been calls for Chief Moore to resign after the police chief blamed the death of George Floyd on protestors and claimed that journalists were not targeted during protests despite claims and video evidence that suggests otherwise.
Chief Moore was seen at Saturday’s protest surveilling damaged LAPD patrol cars less than half an hour after peaceful protestors were violently arrested, shot with non-lethal weapons, and assaulted with batons.
At the same time, Chief Moore applauded the work of the police department, “You held your ground of your character, it wasn’t perfect, our actions will never be. But our commitment to our community is to do our very best, and I am proud of the work I’ve seen.”
