KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva discussed Wednesday the incident involving Santa Clarita deputies drawing guns at teens in Canyon Country.
Villanueva updated the community about the ongoing report on the viral incident on Aug. 7, during a Facebook Live, with investigators able to track down the homeless individual involved.
“We found and talked to all the parties,” Villanueva said. “We have identified multiple witnesses.”
The Sheriff argued the viral video does not show the full story, adding “this is why it is important to talk about the context.”
There were two individuals who called law enforcement involving an alleged attack, one person who was a witness and another with second-hand information, according to Villanueva.
At 5:02 p.m. the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station received a report of an assault with a deadly weapon call involving a skateboard.
See Related: Conduct Of Santa Clarita Deputies Under Investigation After Drawing Guns At Teens
The caller reported a “two-on-one fight” where someone was hit with a skateboard, which was later found to be self-defense.
The first reporting party stayed on the line with police operators for about 11 minutes, giving real-time updates to the Sheriff’s Department.
The second caller, a manager at the nearby Buffalo Wild Wings, did not witness the incident, according to Villanueva.
Neither reporting party stated there was a knife involved in the alleged altercation, according to the Sheriff.
Upon arrival, deputies found who they believed to be suspects and detained the teens at gunpoint.
In the viral video, bystanders are heard yelling to the deputies “those are the victims.”
Tammi Collins, the mother of one of the teens detained, said her son was sitting at a bus stop in Santa Clarita with friends when a man who appeared to be homeless approached the teen.
The teen and his friends “only had their skateboards to cover them from the knife and whip so they held it out to keep a distance from this guy,” Collins said.
See Related: County Inspector General To Perform Independent Investigation On Action Of Santa Clarita Deputies
No charges are expected to be filed for any of the parties, according to the Sheriff.
“We’re going to be able to resolve this without creating any criminal record for anybody involved,” he said
The conduct of the deputies involved is under investigation by the LASD and the County Inspector General’s office is expected to conduct an independent review at the request of Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
“Obviously we have concerns about some of the actions taken by personnel, those are being addressed, and I can guarantee you that,” said Villanueva.
Barger requested the inspector general to share the results of the independent investigation to her office, officials with the City of Santa Clarita and the community.
“This interaction between Sheriff’s deputies and the community is extremely troubling and disheartening – especially knowing that altercations such as this diminish trust and respect rather than reinforce it among those we are entrusted to serve,” Barger said in a statement.
About a week after the incident, an in-depth review of the entire department’s use of AR-15 rifle deployment and training was announced by Chief Dennis Kneer of the north patrol division.
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The first deputy to remove and point his weapon at the children should be fired. The 2nd and 3rd deputies that pointed their weapons need to receive immediate training on group think and situational assessment training.
Barlavi you are an embarrassment to the school district.
Cops can’t win with cuckoo people. They complain no matter the outcome. Stop dissecting every action of an officer. They didn’t shoot anyone. They didn’t lay a hand on anyone. They didn’t rough anyone up.
Pointing a gun at someone is the complaint? Give me a break!!!!! Thank you for doing your job!!!!!!????
In light of the social injustices happening, this is a matter to take issue with. Those boys, held up their skate boards and acted in self defense. To have fire arms pointed at minors, and young black man of color is not something that you can just brush off, it’s traumatic. What if your son was held at gun point in the same manner? How would you feel? Set your white privilege aside and wake up. Learn to have empathy for God’s sake!
Karina you are 100% correct! God Bless our great Law Enforcement. These Sheriff deputies had been given wrong information so were protecting the citizens of Santa Clarita going on that wrong information. Stop picking apart every single action of our great well trained LASD and focus on the raising of your own children to respect the law!
If a police officer is so scared of a teenager with a skateboard – they should really rethink their career choice. If six police officers are so scared of teenagers with skateboards – why aren’t they pulling out guns and the AR-15 every time they get a call for a skateboarder trespassing? These individuals who are obviously over their heads in this job capacity should be taught how to go into a situation where supposedly a skateboard is the weapon?
Where is the disgust that they didn’t pull the gun on the homeless guy that had a knife? oh wait – they didn’t pull the gun on the homeless mentally disturbed man.
Karina,
Give me a break? Are you kidding me? Apparently you’ve never had a white police officer point a rifle that’s capable of removing a portion of your head or a bullet tear your insides apart then maybe exiting, nor have I, but I can imagine how the young men must have felt during this time of protest every where. Teenagers with skateboards, full grown men trained to defend themselves perhaps maybe served in the military, a break…..? Your not thinking, instead your ridiculous.
You’re a cancel culture moron, aren’t you?
We stand behind you all the way LEO’s! Thank you for your service and keeping us safe.
With all due respect to some sheriffs, Santa Clarita sheriffs are very aggressive & they pull people over because of there color or because they think they intimidated us. But this needs to stop honestly the sheriff department is worst than PD.
Got any facts to support your statement, Roberto? Or did you just come here to talk about you feelings like all the other leftist’s who hate cops?
Everyone on this message board could benefit from the use of CBD. Calm down… All of you
“Discussion”, yet NO punishment. Typical………