By Suzie Ziegler
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Police released body-worn camera footage of a confrontation between police and protesters earlier this month.
In the critical incident video, a department spokesperson said officers were responding to a call involving two women who appeared be having a mental health crisis on July 14. While speaking with the women, officers saw a man nearby verbally threatening another man. Officers identified the man who was yelling as 53-year-old David Dixon, who had a felony warrant out for his arrest. As officers were taking Dixon into custody, they were surrounded by a group of protesters. The protesters started chanting, “let them go.”
Video shows protesters following the officers to their cruisers. Several protesters appear to try to stop the officers from putting the man and two women into the vehicles. One protester tries to pull one of the women in custody away from the officer.
At one point in the video, a boy is seen lying on the ground. According to police, he was pushed to the ground and transported to the hospital for an unrelated medical condition. A woman in the crowd is heard saying, “he’s having a seizure.”
A man in a wheelchair, later identified as 34-year-old Joshua Wilson, is seen shoving one of the officers. He later punches an officer in the face. During the scuffle, Wilson’s wheelchair falls over. According to LAPD, his wheelchair wasn’t damaged and he was able to retain use of it in custody. Police later found a loaded firearm in Wilson’s backpack, LAPD said.