(ANAHEIM, CA, 02/23/17) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) and Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development (OCCORD) call on the Orange County District attorney, LAPD and Anaheim Police Department to investigate and take appropriate actions following an off-duty LAPD officer firing his gun during a dispute with a teenager in Anaheim.
According to reports and viral video footage, the off-duty officer forcibly held a 13-year-old and dragged him across several front yards as a crowd of other youth watched. When one of the youths intervened, and pushed the off-duty officer over a hedge, the officer took out a handgun and fired it. None of the youths were hit.
See video here.
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Latino Kid Gets Into ARGUMENT With An Off Duty Police Officer www.youtube.com Latino Kid Gets Into ARGUMENT With An Off Duty Police Officer And The Cop Pulls Out His Gun And Starts SHOOTING AT THE KIDS! |
Reports indicate that Anaheim police officers arrived on the scene and arrested two of the teenagers, but not the LAPD officer. The 13-year-old was booked for criminal threats and battery; a 15-year-old was arrested for assault and battery.
"It is deeply disturbing that the Anaheim Police did not arrest this off-duty officer despite the readily available video showing the officer physically assaulting and firing his gun during this dispute with the teenager,” said Hussam Ayloush, Executive Director of CAIR-LA. “The Anaheim Police Department must provide a full explanation of why the two youth were arrested but not the officer who fired his gun.”
CAIR-LA and OCCORD call on the LAPD to investigate the matter fully and take appropriate action in regard to the officer.
“It is the obligation of any officer to protect the public safety, not threaten it,” said Shakeel Syed, Executive Director of OCCORD. “This LAPD officer’s actions are indefensible. We call for a full investigation of this officer’s behavior by both the LAPD and the Orange County District Attorney’s office.”
CAIR-LA and OCCORD are encouraging concerned citizens to attend the Anaheim Public Safety board meeting today at 6:00 pm at 201 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92805. We are also encouraging citizens to call the Force Investigation Division of the LAPD at (213) 486-5230 and the Orange County District Attorney’s office at (714) 834-3600.
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
Founded in 2005, OCCORD (Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development) is a community-based non-profit organization that advances the rights and improves the lives of Orange County's working families. With a combination of community organizing, strategic research, and advocacy, OCCORD works toward a long term transformation of Orange County's economy by building coalitions, training grassroots leaders, and informing policymakers to ensure that economic development benefits every sector of society.