An Anaheim protest was deemed unlawful on Wednesday Feb. 22, 2017 after the activists involved vandalized the house of the off-duty LAPD officer.
On Tuesday Feb. 21, 2017, the off-duty officer was involved in an altercation with local Anaheim teens which escalated when he discharged his belt concealed pistol.
The protestors began to gather at the scene of the incident around 7 p.m. Wednesday and quickly grew from 30 people to several hundred by 10 p.m.
After portions of the crowd vandalized personal property and began to harass passing vehicles on the street, the police declared the assembly unlawful.
After forming lines on Euclid Street and Palais Road, law enforcement proceeded to push the protestors North up Euclid Street around 10:50 p.m.
After the initial push, law enforcement officials which included police from not only Anaheim, but other surrounding Orange County cities and the Orange County Sheriff’s department, began to close the gap between Ball Road and Palais Road.
Although many protestors left the scene via small corridors provided by the law enforcement force, a few stood their ground and others that tired to leave were not allowed by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies.
One Anaheim Police Office who wished to remain anonymous stated that his department has issues with the Sheriff’s department. “They are supposed to be here to support us in this but instead took it a bit to far, it’s not their show but they acted like it was.”
A total of 23 people were arrested, 18 of which were adults and 5 were juveniles.
As of 11:30 p.m. the streets had been cleared and most of the police presence on Euclid Street had left.
