A newly released report from the California Highway Patrol asserts that its officers acted properly when firing nearly 60 rounds of “less lethal” rounds at pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA in early May, but it does not provide evidence to back up the claim.
The one-page report said officers were “met with assaultive resistance” that included “multiple protesters throwing items, such as frozen water bottles, bottles containing urine and other unknown fluids, full 12 oz soda cans, pieces of plywood, wooden poles, and various sized fire extinguishers.”
A CalMatters review of footage from the protests found officers aimed at people’s heads and fired into crowds. State law and training guidelines prohibit those actions, except when there is a “threat to life or serious bodily injury.”
In response, CHP Director of Communications Jamie Coffee said that officers did indeed face a threat from protesters. However, protesters do not appear to attack or threaten the CHP officers in the videos recorded by CalMatters. No battery or assault charges have been announced against protesters.
By law, CHP had to prepare a report on the use of force and file it with the Department of Justice. The new CHP report echoed what Coffee said in May. The agency also denied firing discriminately into crowds.
“This doesn’t build public trust. Where is the evidence?” said Jeff Wenninger, a former Los Angeles Police Department lieutenant who oversaw use of force investigations. “They’re sharing their opinion on what happened but not explaining the rationale of how they got there.”
Wenninger said the report doesn’t address all the criteria it’s supposed to under the law, noting that CHP doesn’t cite anything to corroborate their claim that protesters were…
Read the full article here
