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Tension As Peaceful March Takes Confrontational Turn In Protest Of Fatal Shooting By Deputy
Anthony Lee Pittman, an artist from Compton, marches down Compton Blvd. with an American flag he painted. (Brian Feinzimer for LAist)
Hundreds of people spent their Father's Day marching from the auto body shop where 18-year-old Andres Guardado was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy last week to the station were that deputy is based.
The mood along the three-mile route from Gardena to Compton was at times mournful, angry and hopeful. By the time the crowd reached the Compton station, things got tense.
Protesters faced off with deputies in riot gear, who were standing behind a metal fence and perched on the rooftop. The marchers banged on the fence and chanted:
"Put the gun down. Put the gun down."
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“Put the gun down!” 2 deputies in back by the fence are holding riot guns pic.twitter.com/SlW7KXqh9j
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) June 21, 2020
Protesters for #AndresGuardado are wrapping up.
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) June 21, 2020
“We‘ll be back!” pic.twitter.com/38970adGhf
As most protesters were leaving, the scene got far more confrontational. Deputies fired what appeared to be tear gas, according to photographer Brian Feinzimer, who is on assignment for LAist.
A small group of demonstrators seperated from the main group had an altercation with deputy's who fired what appears to be tear gas pic.twitter.com/7UipXR1P7Y
— Brian Feinzimer (@bfeinzimer) June 22, 2020
Our reporter Josie Huang reported getting hit with what she also believed to be tear gas:
Just got teargassed. So did dozens others worse than me. I stood with protestwrs holding my press badge. pic.twitter.com/Mj4FZcUsRL
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) June 22, 2020
Huang also documented the injuries of protesters:
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This man has gotten hit twice by a riot gun #AndresGuardado pic.twitter.com/FQ2MqB3S4b
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) June 22, 2020
As well as other members of the press caught in the response by the deputies:
@KNX1070 reporter @EmilyValdezKNX and demonstrators are treated by community medics for exposure to pepper balls shot by @LASDHQ pic.twitter.com/iFtVxJYZJ5
— Brian Feinzimer (@bfeinzimer) June 22, 2020
The aggressive move by deputies to clear the area near the station of protesters came after several hours of very peaceful protest. Guardado's family began the march shortly before 2 p.m. asking those who came out today to keep things calm.
Here are some key scenes throughout the day:
Family of #AndresGuardado has asked for a peaceful march for Father’s Day to the Compton sheriff’s station. This is his uncle Oscar Abarca. pic.twitter.com/2TPdceDImc
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) June 21, 2020
And his father:
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Christopher Guardado, father of #AndresGuardado, thanks protesters in Spanish and English. His son was killed less than 72 hours ago. “I’m feeling really bad to talk, you know?” pic.twitter.com/4BgelTgAGL
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) June 21, 2020
More than 100 & counting gathering in Gardena to march for Andres Guardado, the 18 yo shot by an LA Cty sheriff’s deputy Thursday evening. It is the second fatal shooting by a @LASDHQ deputy in a week. pic.twitter.com/edC2Zdwfio
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) June 21, 2020
Bikers lead the march for #AndresGuardado, followed by Aztec dancers, other protesters then the lowriders. pic.twitter.com/eQonCVmld3
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) June 21, 2020
Last but not least the lowriders, who are bringing up the rear to make sure no cars cut thru the march for #AndresGuardado pic.twitter.com/7am9wlWZIq
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) June 21, 2020
Numerous Salvadoran flags were flown by marchers. Guardado's family is from El Salvador.
At Compton and Central, near the halfway mark for the march for #AndresGuardado pic.twitter.com/yUwAKYnYw4
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) June 21, 2020
At a news conference Saturday, Sheriff Alex Villanueva offered his condolences to the Guardado family. Sheriff's officials said the shooting is under investigation.
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They also offered details about the incident, saying that when deputies arrived at the auto body shop where Guardado worked as a secutiry guard, Guardado produced the weapon and ran onto the shop's property. At that point, one deputy fired six rounds, striking Guardado in the upper torso.
According to Captain Kurt Wegener:
- A modified .40 caliber gun was recovered at the scene
- The weapon had 13 live rounds
- The weapon does not appear to have been fired during the incident
- Guardado was not wearing a security uniform or a gunbelt
His family has disputed the claim that he was armed, and questioned why the deputy fired his weapon in the first place. It was unclear why deputies were at that location Thursday night, although in their Saturday news conference, sheriff's officials said there'd been another shooting at that address on June 7 and, at that time, weapons and narcotics were found. A number of businesses share the location.
Congresswomen Maxine Waters and Nanette Diaz Barragán today released a joint statement on the shooting calling on California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra to independently investigate Guardado's death:
"Another day, and another Black or Brown kid has been shot in the back by police. These killings must stop. We demand it. The American people demand it."
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly said the shooting took place in Waters' district. LAist regrets the error.
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