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LAPD officers recorded on camera stopping family of tourists in car
LOS ANGELES - They are all over social media - cell phone videos of law enforcement working during last week’s protests. But one video caught by a local comedian is drawing lots of attention.
It shows police stopping a car they thought was filled with looters. It turned out they were tourists from the East Coast, celebrating the 71st birthday of a man who had survived 43 chemo treatments and was a recuperating from cancer.
His only wish was to see the Hollywood Sign, and it was his first time in L.A.
They landed, and saw the downtown protests on local news. Thinking they’d be safe in Hollywood, they headed down Fountain Ave. at 4:30 in the afternoon, on June 3rd.
But then the family was pulled over by LAPD officers thinking they were robbery suspects who stolen items during the recent George Floyd protests.
“I’m like this is a normal stop, it’s a young man, there’s been looters, I’ve seen cops do this all day, I’m about to walk away. But then an older gentlemen gets out of the side, he can barely walk, his knees were bad and police were telling him to get on his knees and they had their guns drawn,” said Dante Rusciolelli who witnessed the entire situation.
The stop brought out a crowd of area residents.
FOX 11’s Christina Gonzalez spoke to the family who is already back home in North Carolina.
“I’m not going to say I’m angry, I’m just hurt that they were good innocent people like this. I never in a million years thought I would ever be gunned down, helicopters above, anything like that,” said Shawn Lewis.
LAPD confirms to FOX 11 that they pulled over the wrong car and everyone was let go.
Following the virial video, Rusciolelli says he came home to find his fence and several Black Lives Matter signs painted over.
“They painted the signs on my fence, my property, the city did it,” he stated.
Graffiti removal says they were out in the area after receiving a 311 call.