The recent unrest in downtown Los Angeles has led the LAPD to release further details on incidents occurring between June 7th and 9th. According to their official statement, the department made a total of 50 arrests over the course of the weekend's protests, which devolved into "significant acts of violence, vandalism, and looting." Officers were deployed to the area and coordinated with partner agencies to restore order and address the criminal activity associated with the demonstrations.
On the night of June 7th, a confrontation led to 29 people being arrested for Failure to Disperse. The following day saw an additional 21 individuals being taken into custody, facing various charges including Attempted Murder with a Molotov Cocktail, Assault with a Deadly Weapon on a Police Officer, Looting, and Failure to Disperse. The LAPD's release described protestors setting up barricades and hurling projectiles at officers near Spring Street and Temple Street.
The LAPD resorted to using handheld CS gas canisters to break up what it termed as a "hostile crowd," and reported that the deployment of this chemical agent, paired with over 600 rounds of less-lethal munitions, was necessary to manage crowd behavior and minimize damage to property. The statement detailed that by approximately 2:30 a.m. on June 9th, the crowd had diminished sufficiently for officers to start demobilizing from the area.
Preliminary reports from the department indicate that five LAPD officers sustained minor injuries amid the tumult, and five department horses used in crowd control operations were also targeted and suffered minor injuries. In undisclosed efforts, some protestors were seen using handheld radios to coordinate their movements and evade law enforcement personnel. As investigations proceed, the LAPD vows to work with prosecutorial partners "to seek appropriate charges for those involved in criminal activity." Furthermore, the LAPD Professional Standards Bureau will undertake investigations into the accusations of excessive force and other issues tied to the department's actions during the protests.
