This is not a good look for LA County deputies.
The department is getting heat for a viral video that shows a group of officers responding to several 911 calls by pointing guns at three Black teens who were actually the victims in the situation!
As you can see in the recording (below), a handful of deputies arrive at the scene in Santa Clarita, CA as several others are already pointing weapons — including an assault rifle (!!!) — at the teens, who have their hands up and were seen fully cooperating.
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As the officers cuff one of the teens, a group of civilians can be heard loudly explaining to cops that the alleged suspects did nothing wrong. However, the deputies don’t bat an eye and proceed to detain the teens.
See it all play out for yourself:
Santa Clarita, California:
Three black teenagers were being attacked by a homeless man and witnesseses called for help.
When police arrived they pointed their guns, and arrested the kids who needed their help. Terrifying them.
On brand. Exhausting…pic.twitter.com/R3dXb6DOtC
— Rex Chapman???????? (@RexChapman) August 10, 2020
It’s extremely hard to watch, considering the teens were the ones who needed protection.
Tammi Collins, the mother of one of the teens, told TMZ that her son and a couple of friends were sitting at a bus stop when a homeless man accosted them, asking if they had any crack before trying to steal their stuff. The homeless man allegedly got very aggressive: he ripped off his shirt and attempted to stab them with a knife, but the boys allegedly fended the man off with their skateboards.
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The LA County Sheriff’s Department told TMZ a different story, though, claiming that the 911 call came in as an assault with a deadly weapon; specifically, two adult males hitting another man with a skateboard. (Odd, seeing as one of the eyewitnesses in the video is shown clearly telling police she was one of the people who called in the report and made it clear that the Black teens were the victims.)
The department told the outlet that the teenagers were detained, but after deputies interviewed them and the witnesses, they were released and no arrests were made. Officials don’t know what happened to the homeless man, who was apparently not at the scene by the time deputies arrived.
All we can say is thank goodness this situation didn’t escalate. What do U think about this response, Perezcious readers? Seems pretty excessive, no? Share your thoughts in the comments (below).
[Image via LA County Sheriff’s Dept.]
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