Los Angeles Police Department Statement on June 6th Federal Enforcement Activities NR25117jf/ma

The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of the statement issued by ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons regarding the events of June 6th.

Contrary to the claim that LAPD delayed its response for over two hours, our personnel mobilized and acted as swiftly as conditions safely allowed.

On June 6th, at approximately 6:30 p.m., the LAPD responded to a help call request from federal authorities. Our response time was impacted by significant traffic congestion, the presence of demonstrators, and, notably, by the fact that federal agents had deployed irritants into the crowd prior to LAPD’s arrival. This created a hazardous environment for responding officers. Within 55 minutes of receiving the call, we began to disperse the hostile and riotous crowd.

It is also important to note that the LAPD did not coordinate with federal agencies in advance of the federal enforcement operations that took place on June 6th. As a result, our deployment was delayed because we were unable to proactively plan for the potential for civil unrest or provide appropriate staffing and equipment prior to the events that unfolded. Additionally, when the help call occurred, the crowd already numbered several hundred people, making it very dangerous for individual officers to respond into a hostile environment. Therefore, the LAPD initiated Mobile Field Force tactics to effectively address the unfolding incident.

The LAPD remains committed to public safety and the protection of all people in our city. We will protect all peaceful protests and the rights of all peaceful protesters. However, acts of violence will not be tolerated and will result in swift enforcement of the law.