The Kids are All Right: The Democratic Party of OC Weighs in on Lawngate.

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We were proud and heartened to see, at last night’s Anaheim Council meeting (which had rows full of youth from the Palais Street neighborhood there to support 13-year  old Christian Dorscht and his friends) that the Democratic Party of Orange County had prepared, the previous night, the following resolution, which was read by Jeff LeTourneau:

DPOC CALL FOR JUSTICE
RE: Anaheim Feb. 22 LAPD officer shooting
during dispute with 13-year old youth.

WHEREAS, The recent scuffle in an Anaheim neighborhood between an unarmed 13 year old Latino student and an off-duty LAPD officer resulted in the officer discharging a concealed firearm in front of several bystanders; and

WHEREAS, The responding Anaheim police officers arrested the student and detained several youth while allowing the adult off-duty police officer to remain free resulting in hundreds of angry protestors demonstrating in the streets that evening; and

WHEREAS, Until the advent of district elections which were strongly endorsed by the DPOC, the Anaheim City Council has long ignored the needs of the residents including thousands of marginalized and homeless youth.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the DPOC strongly encourages the Anaheim city council, along with resort and non-profit agencies to commit to a public/private partnership in order to commit real resources toward infrastructure and program support for at-risk and homeless youth, now numbering over 7,000 in grades k-12, and further encourages the establishment of an Independent Police Review Board with full subpoena powers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the DPOC strongly encourages a complete and unbiased investigation by Anaheim PD, the Orange County District Attorney, and the LAPD in order to determine whether the off-duty officer acted lawfully by using what amounted to deadly force in a scuffle involving an unarmed adolescent and whether he additionally committee false imprisonment.

Respectfully Submitted By:
Carina Franck Pantone – Chair DPOC Resolutions Committee
Jeff LeTourneau = DPOC North Vice-Chair, Vice-Chair DPOC Resolutions Committee.


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