Stunning Video Shows LA Council Member Physically Attacking Protestor Who Got In His Face
Los Angeles city council member Kevin de León was caught on video at a recent event where he had a physical encounter with a local activist who confronted him up close.
Footage emerged of De León on Friday night as he was leaving a holiday event in Lincoln Heights. In the video, De León is shown being chewed out by local activists, including one man who stood in front of him while holding a phone up to De León’s face. The Los Angeles Times identifies the man in the green coat as Jason Reedy, an organizer with the People’s City Council.
The footage shows someone pushing Reedy out of the way when De León tried to go through a doorway. While the chaos of the encounter makes it difficult to tell what was happening, the video shows that Reedy followed De León into the next room, and Reedy held his arms up while getting up in De León’s face as they were both surrounded by a mob of people. The situation sharply escalated when De León grabbed hold of Reedy, pushed him backward onto a table, then tried to force him out of the room to the shock of everyone involved in the encounter.
Reports on the incident say the activists confronted De León with demands for his resignation because of ongoing outrage he faces over audio of him and his colleagues making racist comments about the adopted African American son of his fellow councilman. Former Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez resigned when those comments resurfaced months ago, but De León has remained under pressure since then from locals who’ve demanded that he do the same.
Following the incident, De Leon’s office released a statement claiming that the activists disrupted the event and that Reedy headbutted him during their close encounter, prompting the councilman to react in self-defense.
From the statement, per CBS:
A group of so-called ‘activists’ – who have been harassing my staff and me for more than a year – cornered and physically assaulted me, a staff member, and a volunteer during a holiday event on Friday evening.
Jason Reedy and his accomplices started by shouting obscenities and disrupting a community toy giveaway and tree lighting ceremony already underway. I decided to try to exit the event to draw the disrupters away from the attending families and children and leave without further incident. Still, we discovered Reedy and others had blocked all available exits.
Once we were able to push open a door and try to get out, Reedy launched a pelvic thrust, followed by a headbutt to my forehead. My response, in defense of myself, was to push him off of me. In the ensuing struggle, Reedy struck me in the face with a closed fist, violently elbowed a female staff member, and injured a volunteer in front of horrified parents and children.
The escalating political rhetoric is beyond unacceptable, now turning verbal threats into physical acts of violence. It’s a dangerous pattern that must end before more serious harm or loss of life occurs. Leaders must collectively step up to curb rising hostilities towards staff and elected officials. In no way is violence a form of free speech and acts like these have no place in politics or democracy.
An attorney for Reedy released a statement too, disputing De Leon’s account of how the encounter turned violent.
Kevin de Leon is a disgrace. Video footage clearly shows him and his supporters initiating this assault while Mr. Reedy stands with his hands up. Not only has Kevin de Leon lost all political legitimacy, his claims that he was the one attacked here simply underscores how he’s lost touch with reality.
Kevin de Leon and his supporters assaulted Mr. Reedy for voicing criticism of Kevin de Leon at a public event, echoing the widespread demands for him to resign. De Leon’s supporters initiated physical contact by shoving him, and De Leon himself grabbed Mr. Reedy. Mr. Reedy had his hands up and did not initiate physical contact with anyone. Mr. Reedy has reported the assault to LAPD.
Watch above via CNN.
