Businesses in Van Nuys and Hollywood, Los Angeles, were struck by looters with no apparent connection to the peaceful protests over George Floyd’s death on Monday. Dozens were arrested for burglary by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) as they took advantage of protests to loot and vandalize. "You've got a small group that infiltrated and, in fact, I believe used these peaceful demonstrators as a way to divert attention so they could go in and do illegal activity," Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said, NBC News reported.
But in addition to arresting those who vandalized and looted businesses amid the peaceful protests, the LAPD profiled and incorrectly handcuffed individuals protecting businesses from destruction and looters. A group of good samaritans who were standing guard outside of a Los Angeles liquor store were pushed to the wall and handcuffed by police who said they were confused upon arriving at the scene Monday.
The incident was captured live on FOX 11 by reporter Christina Gonzalez, who was outside the Van Nuys liquor store. The footage depicts a Black woman named Monet, “flagging down the police” in an attempt for help during an altercation taking place between alleged looters, store owners, and community members. As the officers arrived at the scene, some ran after the men who ran across the street while others approached Monet, her husband, and brother-in-law and began cuffing them.
Gonzalez is then heard trying to explain to the police officers that Monet and her family were protecting the store, not looting it. “We’re putting those in handcuffs right now!” one of the officers is heard saying. Gonzalez continues on in the footage to say that the police are losing the actual looters and handcuffing the wrong people. “This is the sum of some of the systematic issues that maybe some of those protesters are upset about,” the cameraman can be heard saying. The officers later released Monet and the other Black community members they profiled.
"I was handcuffed, thrown up against a wall with my husband and brother-in-law, and I'm like, 'What the hell?'" Monet said in an interview with FOX 11. Monet went on to explain that while she supports the movement and is “fighting for the same protest” she does not want people to come and destroy things that will have to be rebuilt.
Additionally, she said that she believes the police need to give a better response to the African American community. "I get it. I understand they're [the officers] tired. They're worn-out too. We've been worn out. I'm 55, we're tired too. The same injustice you did to us years ago, and my father and forefathers, you guys are doing to our young Black men and our young Black women, including Latinos," Monet said. While officers may have been tired, the action of assuming Monet and her family were the looters despite witnesses trying to clarify for police is inexcusable. Gonzalez can be heard frantically telling officers they are losing the looters as they respond that they are putting “all three of them” in handcuffs.
Despite the racial profiling and injustice she faced, Monet had a positive message for others. She told FOX 11 that she hopes people think about the impact their actions have on others. "I tell my children this all the time, 'One second of your thinking can cost you your life or someone else's life.' This white gentleman who was a police officer who was here to protect and serve, one second of his thinking cost someone else their life, which is about to cost your family their life, and costing people their business," Monet said.
But while the LAPD wrongfully cuffed Monet and her family and said they arrested dozens of others for looting Monday, many business owners expressed that their stores were looted and set on fire with no police officials in sight over the weekend, who unnecessarily focused their efforts on peaceful protestors instead, the Los Angeles Times reported. “Where are the police? They’re nowhere. There’s not a policeman in sight. It’s just like a free-for-all,” Aaron Landy, a store owner told the Los Angeles Times he remembered thinking Saturday. “It was just shocking. I was outraged.”
According to Landy, not one patrol vehicle came by the area despite several officers stationed by peaceful protests. Images of looting and vandalism were shared throughout social media and news outlets with no officers in sight Saturday. Additionally, on Sunday, the LAPD clashed with some protesters and acted aggressively by shooting protestors with rubber bullets, many of which came without warning, according to protesters. Store and business owners, however, told the Los Angeles Times they felt officials did not take looting and vandalism as seriously as patrolling the peaceful protests that were occurring.
LAPD spokesman Josh Rubenstein said that while not every police officer was wearing a body camera during protests, thousands in areas with severe vandalism and looting were and have hours of recorded footage. The department plans to use this and footage provided by residents and business owners to investigate incidents. “Where it’s being brought to our attention, or where we are able to capture any evidence of people committing crimes, that is being captured for further investigation,” Rubenstein said. However, officials also emphasized that they will be prioritizing major crimes or multiple crimes committed by a single group.