Husband of Los Angeles district attorney charged with pointing a gun at BLM protesters
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Husband of Los Angeles district attorney charged with pointing a gun at BLM protesters
On March 2, David Lacey, the husband of Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey, emerged from their home to point a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters on his front porch, telling them, "I will shoot you" in a viral video of the incident.
David Lacey, the husband of Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey, points a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters on the couple's front porch.
More than five months later, the California attorney general's office on Tuesday filed three misdemeanor charges for assault with a firearm against David Lacey, 66.
The charges further complicate a stiff reelection battle for Jackie Lacey (D), who is Los Angeles County's first Black district attorney and the first woman to hold the job. Amid a national reckoning with racial injustice, Lacey has been assailed by protesters for declining to charge police officers in violent incidents, and has recently lost the endorsements of several top California Democrats.
She criticized the criminal charges on Tuesday, arguing that her husband was merely trying to protect her after she had received violent threats.
"The events that took place earlier this year have caused my family immense pain," Lacey said in a statement to the Associated Press. "My husband acted in fear for my safety after we were subjected to months of harassment that included a death threat no less than a week earlier."
Samuel Tyre, an attorney representing David Lacey, told the Guardian that he would be vindicated in court. "We disagree entirely with their assessment, but we have the utmost faith in the justice system, and we are confident that the correct result will be reached," he said.
But Melina Abdullah, a Cal State L.A. professor who first tweeted out the video of Lacey holding the gun, argued that he should have faced felony charges, and said his actions against the unarmed protesters were too aggressive to blame on fear.
"I would think that if you're afraid you would stay in the house and call the police because you were in fear," Abdullah told the Los Angeles Times. "They weren't in fear. They were agitated."
The incident unfolded in the early morning hours of March 2, more than two months before George Floyd's death in Minneapolis would reignite a nationwide Black Lives Matter movement demanding greater police accountability.
That morning, Abdullah had joined about 30 protesters who gathered at the Laceys' house to demand a meeting, the professor told The Washington Post at the time. She said the top prosecutor had repeatedly declined to discuss the group's concerns about her handling of police violence against people of color.
After Abdullah's video of the encounter went viral, Jackie Lacey held an emotional news conference to apologize — but also to insist that her family had been the victim of a ruthless campaign and the subject of serious threats.
"His response was in fear, and now that he realizes what happened, he wanted me to say to the protesters … that he was sorry, that's he's profoundly sorry," Lacey said at the time, while noting that she had been "followed" and had "received threats."
Police confirmed to the Times that Lacey had received multiple threats, but said just one was serious enough to forward to an outside agency, which determined the suspect didn't intend to carry out any violence.
The day after the incident, Lacey narrowly missed winning the Democratic primary outright, nabbing 48.65 percent of the vote. Her top challenger, former San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, received 28 percent.
But since she failed to tally 50 percent, the pair will face off in November — and in the wake of Floyd's death, Lacey's challenge has grown far steeper.
Gascon has seized on the demands of Black Lives Matter to promise deep changes to police accountability, and has nabbed endorsements from major figures including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
Democratic Reps. Adam B. Schiff and Ted Lieu of California, meanwhile, have recently withdrawn endorsements for Lacey, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti suggested that "it may be" time for a new top prosecutor, the Times reported.
Protests against Lacey have also grown in size this summer, with thousands marching outside her office and her home.
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Cue the liberal poutrage and let's hear the calls for a felony indictment!!!!
Any time you point a gun at someone it's an ADW. Don't point your gun at someone unless you plan to use it.
I am left wondering why the same people who complained about the white couple brandishing weapons aren't clamoring for a felony charge against this guy.
Yeah, I know what you're fishing for. I'm not an attorney so I couldn't tell you.
So, since i can kill you with my finger, is it an ADW if i point my finger at you?
You could try it.
I just did .... when can i expect po-po to show up?
What was the guy supposed to do, get an uncle shove him out the door and have him yell "Get off of my porch you damned kids!"
Why, no, he was supposed to invite the protesters in for milk and cookies, right?
Where is the felony indictment??
Where is the moral poutrage?
He has been charged. Now it has to go through the normal process.
misdemeanor charges.
Where are the felony charges?
Why wouldn't he?
Those cops didn't get to go to court? Of course they did. Isn't that the normal process?
Last i knew Calikakistan is still a Castle Doctrine state. She's just grandstanding for votes.
One can only hope it blows up in her face just like her charges against this homeowner will in court.
They were on his front porch?
They should have been the ones charged - for trespass. We have to get all these progressives out of government!
Americans have the right to protest but I think people's homes should be off limits. If you're protesting government policy or a companies business practices you do it where that work happens not at an employee's residence. Given the violence that usually evolves for these groups protests these people have every reason to fear for their lives. There's a time and place for everything but protests never belong at someone's home they belong in the public square.
Permits and laws don't apply to progressives. Like the good communists they are, they believe those are for peasants, and they are above restrictions.
Agreed. There should be & are limits. That would be one of the most sacred.
Ergo .... the name. The "Castle" doctrine.
This AG has no case and i hope the husband pursues all possible legal remedies available to him against the AG and the state.
His wife won't need her job if he hires the right attorneys .....
In the sane world we used to live in, however here is where we live:
Gascon has seized on the demands of Black Lives Matter to promise deep changes to police accountability, and has nabbed endorsements from major figures including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
The law is the law no matter how hard some try to subvert it. Might have to go to the SCOTUS to get resolved as bad as things are in Calikakistan but they will win it.
If not, no promises for what might follow .....
Why aren't the woke liberals screaming about this the way they bitched and moaned about the white couple who had guns displayed against protesters who were there illegally?
Well... because it matters more when it's white people pointing guns at black people. /s
Guess I'm just not "woke" enough to comprehend bullshit!
A BLACK MAN pulled a gun on BLM. I bet there are liberals whose whole world just went sideways.