Hundreds of people have mobilized in Anaheim, California, after an off duty police officer was caught on video, dragging a child, and when his friends tried to step in, he discharged his weapon at them. The argument apparently started when the young teen and his friends walked across the off duty cops lawn. Several videos have been posted, but the main video, 8:48 long, can be viewed here. Youtube has already taken down several other uploads for the video citing a breach of community guidelines.
The LAPD was forced to launch an internal investigation, but defended the officer’s actions by insisting that it “began over ongoing issues with juveniles walking across the officer’s property”. They have also stated that the young teen “threatened to shoot the off-duty officer, and which time the officer attempted to detain the male“. The 13 year old boy was arrested at the scene and charged with criminal threats and battery, his 15 year old friend was also arrested at the scene for assault and battery, but was released to his parents. The young boy, insists that he said he was going to “sue” the officer, not “shoot” him.
At a point in the video, the 13 year old boy, Christian Dorsch, claims that he isn’t a real cop, leading people to believe that the off-duty officer never showed his badge during the incident. He also pulled his gun from the front of his waistband underneath his shirt, when he then discharged it into the ground.
The grandmother of the 13 year old boy made a statement saying that her grandson was sticking up for a 13 year old girl, who the officer had sworn at.
As of last night, they have arrested twenty-four different protesters, from around the officer’s home, after reports of vandalism were taking place.
The Anaheim Police are currently investigating the incident, have set up a hotline for the public to call, even though the discharge of the weapon, and the assault by the officer on the child, is seen on the video.
An advocate at the ACLU of Southern California, named Jennifer Rojas, gave an interview with NBC,and stated their organization was disturbed by the reports, and calls for a “full explanation of why, in an altercation between the police officer and youths, the youths were arrested but not the officer who fired his gun”.
Jennifer Rojas, a policy advocate at the ACLU of Southern California, told NBC Los Angeles the organization is “deeply disturbed” by reports.
They also called for “a full explanation of why, in an altercation between the police officer and youths, the youths were arrested but not the officer who fired his gun.”
The LAPD made a statement about the incident saying, “(Investigators) are aware there is a video of the incident and will review all video in this case,” they then added, “The officer is currently on administrative leave”.
The fact that police are caught on video, brutalizing non-white children, and the media immediately tries to defend the officer, is just another reason anti-police brutality protests are so important. These children may or may not have walked on a lawn, and this escalated to the point where, on video, this off duty cop, fell comfortable in his actions, to discharge his gun around minors. It’s a disgusting misuse of authority, and there needs to be charges against the officer, and he needs to not work again. If he feels “threatened” by a group of children, he’s obviously not a strong enough person to be able to handle the strain of the job, and needs to find an easier line of work, that doesn’t involve anything difficult like, “conflict management” skills.
