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Watch: Did Cops Overreact in Anaheim Riots?

Two fatal officer-involved shootings spark violent clashes with police last night.

For some Orange County residents, the Los Angeles riots were a distant thing -- scary, but far away.

Last night's violent clashes between demonstraters and Anaheim police, however, may hit too close to home.

With two dozen people under arrest, police reported that they restored order this morning after a fourth day of clashes between officers and protesters angry over two fatal officer-involved shootings in Anaheim this weekend.

At least seven people were reported hurt in the unrest, with crowds setting fires, smashing windows and throwing rocks and other projectiles at officers in riot gear who fired non-lethal rounds at demonstrators refusing to disperse.

Damage, including broken windows, was reported at the police station, city hall, and more than 20 businesses, Anaheim police Chief John Welter said at a briefing this morning. Several patrol cars also were damaged, he said.

Welter said more than 300 law enforcement officers were deployed from throughout the region in support of their Anaheim colleagues. Officers from other agencies also were assigned to respond to 911 calls that otherwise would have been handled by Anaheim officers who were working to handle the unrest.

Twenty adults and four juveniles were arrested on suspicion of various offenses, including assault with a deadly weapon, failure to disperse, and battery, Welter said. One adult arrestee and one juvenile arrestee suffered minor injuries, he said.

One person was taken to a hospital after being struck in the head with a pepper ball fired by police, two print reporters were injured by rocks hurled by protesters, and a police officer suffered a minor arm injury, said Sgt. Bob Dunn, an Anaheim police spokesman. Additionally, one person was injured during a fight among protesters, according to The Orange County Register.

Police went on a tactical alert Tuesday, extending shifts and limiting
responses to the most urgent radio calls, and sheriff's deputies and officers
from neighboring cities were called in to assist in controlling the protests.

Protesters numbered about 600, Dunn said.

The latest round of protests began when hundreds of people gathered shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday outside City Hall as the City Council met inside, voting to ask federal authorities to investigate the officer-involved shootings. Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait previously had called for the state Attorney General's Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office to investigate them.

With Council Chambers already filled to capacity, police turned away demonstrators who tried to enter the session. Protesters then marched along Anaheim Boulevard to Lincoln Avenue, where they blocked traffic, then marched back toward City Hall, Dunn said.

Police using loudspeakers ordered them to disperse, then, around 9 p.m. Tuesday, began firing non-lethal rounds at the feet of protesters.

Some protesters shattered the windows of at least six downtown businesses, including a Starbucks, and set small trash fires. A mob set a fire at a lumber yard at Claudina and Santa Ana streets, drawing Anaheim firefighters, and mobs smashed the window of an NBC4 reporter's car, according to the Los Angeles Times.

A Molotov cocktail was tossed at a police car, Dunn said.

Most of the protesters left the area late Tuesday and their numbers continued to dwindle after midnight, but pockets of them scattered into outlying neighborhoods and continue to set small trash fires, he said, adding that order was fully restored by 2 a.m. today.

It was the fourth night of protests following the weekend shootings of known gang members Manuel Diaz, 25, and Joel Mathew Acevedo, 21.

During unrest on Saturday and Sunday in Anaheim, protesters set fire to
a Dumpster that was rolled into a street, and threw objects at officers. Police fired non-lethal projectiles to disperse the crowd. A police dog got loose during the melee -- police said it was an accident -- and bit at least two people.

Diaz, whom police described as a documented gang member from Santa Ana, was approached by officers around 4 p.m. Saturday in the 600 block of North Anna Drive. Police said Diaz and his two companions ran off, but an officer caught up to Diaz, and the officer wound up shooting him. Diaz died at a hospital about 7 p.m.

Two officers, including the one who shot Diaz, have been placed on paid leave while an investigation was pending.

Diana Lopez, an attorney for the Diaz family, announced Tuesday a $50 million claim against the city alleging civil rights violations by Anaheim police.

Late Sunday, Anaheim police fatally shot 21-year-old Joel Mathew Acevedo
at the end of a stolen-car pursuit.

Acevedo, also an alleged gang member, became the fifth person to die in an officer-involved shooting in Anaheim this year. He allegedly fired at officers before being shot.

A sixth person was shot by Anaheim police this year, but survived.

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brad flethler July 25, 2012 at 08:03 pm
this is what happens when you let people come into this country illegally. mr. diaz
is a gang member. he is a weapon. all members of gangs should be exterminated. it looks to me that when the family of mr.diaz files a lawsuit they should be held accountable. they new he was a gang member and did nothing. they new this would happen. all they want is money to give back to the gangs. and around and around we go. mr. diaz new what could happen in a gang. he deserves what he got.
Jeff Santoni July 26, 2012 at 03:58 am
Brad, take a deep breath, two more advils and re-read your words tomorrow.
missy jones July 26, 2012 at 04:42 am
I agree with brad. I work as a teacher in an alternative education school think about how much money this is costing us taxpayers? These gang members could care less. They lie cheat and steal. And most are here illegally costing us money and creating chaos to the innocent law abiding citizens of Anaheim. I have resided here for 40 years and am saddened by this. The police are here to protect and serve us. I commend them and if someone has a problem they should be a police for a day it is a tough job and I am glad they do it.
GC July 26, 2012 at 05:06 am
people need God, have turned their backs on Christ, the wickedness of man has no end " without Christ" they seek their own, the gang members is enjoying his inequity and the educated cares about his own "selfishness "
Mary July 26, 2012 at 08:14 am
A very sad story indeed. I commend the police. They have an incredibly difficult job keeping the community safe. God bless them.
tedederico July 26, 2012 at 10:26 am
Missy and Brad, where the Hell does it say that alleged gang member is illegal? Your remarks have an obvious twang of racist rant as you decided to go down that road just because of a Spanish name. You both get the one finger salute.
Tim July 26, 2012 at 10:29 am
Too many illegals in Anaheim. Look up the number of english learners in their school system. I believe it's north of 30%..... That's a good proxy for illegal aliens. Sadly, we're creating a two tier society, and draining valuable resources to give Mexicans a better life.
Joker Joe July 26, 2012 at 11:59 am
What does the attorney general of the U.S., Eric Holder, have to say about his illegals now?
Joker Joe July 26, 2012 at 12:02 pm
If the police were allowed to check their status I am sure most would be illegal but the community doesn't care. Holder and Obama will not shut down the border so you get this type of situation.
4 more years, 4 more years. And Hope for some Change.
rocknpnk July 26, 2012 at 06:19 pm
Tederico you sound uneducated. It is illegal to be a gang member.. Come-on tederico!!! take a look at what they were doing when this tragedy happen... they were not home studying??? or working???? I was born here, but I am hispanic. I loathe the gang members ... Put yourself in the place of families of the police officers. When a police officer is killed is a wrongful tragedy (because they are protecting us).... when a gang member is killed it is a tragedy and lack of education and guideness...and I think what others are trying to say is that if you went to all that trouble of crossing the border... is to get on the boat and better yourself not to sink the boat......
Melchor July 26, 2012 at 09:29 pm
Please note...Not all illegals are from Mexico. Let's have more education and less racism. Happy Friday!
John B. Greet July 26, 2012 at 09:59 pm
Engaging in civil disobedience to publicly protesting what some believe to be police misconduct can be a legitimate and effective way for folks to register their displeasure and to gain the attention of other members of the public as well as elected and appointed government officials.
That said, damaging public and private property or committing violent crimes against anyone, police or civilian, in the course of such protests is wrong and cannot be tolerated. Those protesters who commit property damage and violence completely undermine the valid concerns and complaints of those who do not. I am not entirely sure how some can make the leap that this has anything to do with illegal immigration. Has their been some indication that either of those the police shot were present in the country illegally? If not, speculating in this area does not seem to serve any constructive purpose.
Deb Peni July 26, 2012 at 10:49 pm
Hispanics are people not animals. They have feelings and families, imigration issues or not. Treat everyone the way you would like to be treated the rest is politics. Vote for change it is the American way.
Alexis Riley July 26, 2012 at 11:10 pm
Give the gangbangers what they want, take away the cops and let them all kill each other
Joker Joe July 27, 2012 at 11:18 am
WE voted for change and got Obama. Open borders. Drugs flowing through. Illegals. Human trafficking. Guns to cartels. Federal govt. suing states that want to check IDs. One class of people against another.
It did not work.
Joker Joe July 27, 2012 at 11:23 am
Cut out playing the racism card. It is common knowledge that there are OVER 11 million illegals in the U.S. Tune into the tv program "BORDER WARS".
It is on once a week. Almost all are from Mexico. The few from other countries are probably 10%.
Joker Joe July 27, 2012 at 11:28 am
Damn well said.
I wonder where the parenting went wrong with the gang members. I watch prison stories a lot on tv. It seems the gang members find salvation and God when they get into their thirties. I wonder why it takes so long to realize it is a dead end street with nothing to look forward to but death or prison. The stories from the ex gang members repeat this over and over.
John B. Greet July 27, 2012 at 01:03 pm
Bo Bo: While the majority of illegal aliens do, indeed, appear to come from Mexico, the percentage is not nearly so large as you state. This from a 2004 Pew Hispanic study:
"...Mexicans make up by far the largest group of undocumented migrants at 5.9 million or 57 percent of the total in the March 2004 estimates. This share has remained virtually unchanged for the past decade, even as the size of the undocumented population has grown very rapidly. In addition, another 2.5 million undocumented migrants or about 24 percent of the total are from other Latin American countries. About 9 percent are from Asia, 6 percent from Europe and Canada, and 4 percent from the rest of the world." Pew stresses that these numbers can only be "estimates" because "Neither the Census Bureau nor any other U.S. government agency counts the unauthorized migrant population or defines their demographic characteristics based on specific enumeration." http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/44.pdf
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