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An off-duty California police officer who did not want a group of teenagers walking across his lawn fired his gun during a struggle with a 13-year-old boy and other young people, igniting protests after video of the fight surfaced and two boys were arrested.
- Video shows off-duty officer pulling a gun from his waistband while holding the 13-year-old boy
- The teenager was arrested on suspicion of making a criminal threat and battery
- Police say the incident is being investigated and the officer is on administrative leave
No one was hurt during the struggle, but hundreds of people marched through the suburban streets of Anaheim, south of Los Angeles, late on Wednesday, some blocking traffic and carrying signs that said "no shooting zone."
Police arrested two dozen people, including children, after the crowd ignored orders to disperse.
The confrontation, on Tuesday, between the off-duty Los Angeles police officer and the group of children stemmed from ongoing issues with teens walking across the man's property in Anaheim, a police statement said.
The 13-year-old believed the officer, who was not named, had sworn at a teenage girl who had walked across his lawn in the tidy suburban area of family homes about three kilometres west of Disneyland, local media reported.
"The little kid said, 'I'm going to sue you,' and then the guy thought he said, 'I'm going to shoot you'. That's when he started grabbing the little kid," Gregory Perez, 16, told local newspaper the Orange County Register.
A video posted on YouTube showed the officer struggling with the boy, at one point, the teenager said, "Let me go. ... I'm only 13".
Another boy rushed the officer, who stumbled back through a low hedge, still holding the 13-year-old.
Others approached, and the man — still gripping the 13-year-old with one hand — pulled a gun from his waistband, crouched and fired a shot.
Witnesses said the officer "did not discharge the gun toward anyone," Anaheim police Sergeant Daron Wyatt told local radio.
After police arrived, the off-duty officer put his hands up and was led away to be interviewed.
The 13-year-old was eventually handcuffed and booked on suspicion of making a criminal threat and battery, and a 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of assault and battery and later released, police said.
The American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement the video was deeply disturbing and called on investigators to explain why the boys were arrested but the officer who fired the shot was not.
One of the officers' neighbours, Joe Gulrich, said he supported the officer's actions.
"He did the right thing, if he hadn't done that they would have ganged up on him," Gulrich said.
Mike Gutierrez, who lives some blocks away from where the incident occurred, said he was concerned by the officer's handling of the incident.
"What kind of officer goes against a child?" Mr Gutierrez said.
Police Sergeant Daron Wyatt said Anaheim and Los Angeles police were investigating and the officer was cooperating after being placed on administrative leave.
AP
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, united-states
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