Anaheim city council was brought to a stop on Tuesday after speakers used their public comment period as an opportunity to protest the killing of a 19-year-old by the Anaheim Police Department on Dec. 6.
The protesters held a poster that said “Stolen Lives” with photos of those killed by law enforcement.
Teenager Alberto Arzola was being confronted by officers around 9:32 p.m. when the shooting happened. According to officials, two officers were patrolling the 800 block of South Philadelphia Street where a confrontation happened. Another teen also suffered injuries and over 16 people were detained.
The officers shot less-lethal bullets at the crowd, injuring 18-year-old Emmanuel Cordova, who officers claimed jumped from the backyard to the front, ignoring commands. Cordova was transported to the hospital, where he was medically cleared that night.
The police department did not expand on details and claimed that the cause of the shooting was possibly gang-related. Later in a statement released on Wednesday, officers described that a struggle occurred when trying to arrest Arzola, which ultimately led to his death. Both officers involved suffered minor injuries.
Although body camera footage is yet to be released, videos circulating on social media show the confrontation. Members of the audience pointed out that Arzola seemed to be cooperating before one of the officers tripped on the stairs and fired towards him.
In a statement, the department claimed that an “unruly crowd” formed after the shooting. Members of the public during the city council meeting pointed out that the crowd was composed of neighbors and family of the victim.
The council reinforced that the police department is working to investigate the matter and will try to release the bodycam footage sooner than the required 45 days.
“The Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Anaheim Police Department detectives, Internal Affairs, and the Major Incident Review Team are conducting independent reviews,” reads the statement. “Body-worn camera footage and other related videos will be released in the near future.”
During the same meeting, after the council went back into order, Manuel Cid III was appointed Chief of Police, set to start in his position on Dec. 29.
Cid, with over 21 years of experience, previously served as Chief of Police for the cities of Glendale and Culver City. His annual salary will be $367,439.
“I think the success of any law enforcement, local law enforcement organizations is going to be largely predicated on how well we build trust and foster trust with the community we have,” Cid said. “That again I think sets up a foundation for us to be successful in general when providing public safety, and as I said particularly in moments like this, when it’s extra challenging.”