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Anaheim, California: Off-Duty Officer Fires Pistol Near 13-Year-Old

HeadlineFeb 23, 2017

In Anaheim, California, video has emerged of an off-duty LAPD officer grabbing a 13-year-old boy by his hoodie and restraining him, before drawing a pistol and firing a single shot. No one was injured in Tuesday’s incident, which was captured on a cellphone video that went viral on social media. The video shows a man in plainclothes holding a boy against his will, who says repeatedly, “Let me go.” The officer is surrounded by other children, who eventually come to the aid of the boy, pushing the officer over a row of hedges. The man is then seen drawing a pistol from his waistband before a gunshot rings out. Anaheim police say the officer had an ongoing dispute against children who were walking on his lawn. Both the 13-year-old boy and his 15-year-old brother were arrested. The off-duty officer, who has not been identified, was questioned by Anaheim police and released. The LAPD said today he is on paid administrative leave. Overnight, hundreds of protesters gathered near the officer’s home, before marching through Anaheim’s streets and blocking intersections.

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