A Los Angeles police officer received protesters on his porch last week after footage of a violent encounter between him and a thirteen year old boy. The video shows a gun being fired.

Evidently the officer had “an ongoing dispute” with the retinue of friends, he’s repeatedly asked them to “stay off the property,” yet the group disobeyed and kept returning (NBC News). The unidentified law enforcer had enough: he walked outside to confront them, leading to a quarrel.  

Sergeant Daron Wyatt, a spokesman for the Anaheim Police Department, stated the officer was  “trying to detain the individual until the Anaheim PD could arrive based on an alleged threat that the 13-year-old was going to shoot the off-duty officer (NBC News).”

The video displaying the cop’s action lacked to display both sides of the story; in the clip, a male teeanger is being held roughly by the man while his buddies attempt to retrieve  him from the officer’s hold. The pair topple into a bush where the cop then fetches his gun and fires it once. The video doesn’t show how the altercation starts or the cause of it.

Statements prove the gunshot fired had no target, it was pointed towards the ground. Nevertheless, Anaheim’s mayor is concerned for the well-being of the city and approved an investigation; LAPD have followed shortly afterwards, launching an inspection into the officer’s actions.

The thirteen year old boy and a friend were arrested and booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall with charges of criminal threats and battery for one, suspicion of assault and battery for the other. The cop was placed on administrative leave while the incident is under investigation” (USA Today).

The thirteen year old’s grandma claims he was defending a girl in their friend group whom the officer was cursing at.

“It could’ve been handled completely in a different manner. He’s a good kid. He does all the right things. He has a good heart. I think that’s why he stuck up for this girl” (NBC News).

An advocate of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California declared how appalled she was, she demanded the reason why the teeangers were arrested as opposed to the police officer when he fired the gun.

Around three hundred protesters arrived at the location of the event in order to protest; they traveled towards the cop’s home and “gathered around the officer’s home, breaking windows at the house and shattering car windows” (USA Today).

Some protesters attempted entering the man’s house, an action in which caused Anaheim Police Chief Raul Quezada to speak out,

“I fully support the public’s ability to exercise its rights to assemble and protest. Those rights, however, do not include the destruction of property, the disruption of the quiet enjoyment of our neighborhoods or any acts of violence” (USA Today).