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Police Arrest Black Lives Matter Pasadena Organizer Jasmine Richards

Published on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 | 6:59 pm
 

The video above shows police and Black Lives Matter supporters scuffling near La Pintoresca Park on Saturday, August 29, 2015 as police detain a young black woman in order for an area merchant to make a citizen’s arrest of the woman. The woman’s arrest was unrelated to the earlier peaceful Black Lives Matter march and gathering. Black Lives Matter Pasadena organizer Jasmine Richards can be seen and heard in the video.

THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED AS NECESSARY THROUGHOUT WEDNESDAY NIGHT

 

Pasadena police arrested Black Lives Matter Pasadena organizer Jasmine Richards, 28, about 5:35 p.m. Wednesday in Northwest Pasadena and booked her for allegedly committing four crimes during a melee in La Pintoresca Park Saturday afternoon.

Pasadena Police Lt. Tracey Ibarra said Richards was arrested for inciting a riot, child endangerment, delaying and obstructing peace officers in the discharge of their duties, and lynching, a technical term describing the California offense of an attempt by a rioter to force a detainee from police custody.

Richards’ arrest arises from a confrontation late Saturday in La Pintoresca Park.

In that incident, a number of people who had concluded an earlier peaceful Black Lives Matter march saw police officers taking a young black woman into custody across the street from the park on a matter unrelated to the march. The group tried to intervene in the arrest.

“When the officers attempted to detain her then part of the Black Lives Matter protest group attempted to intercede,” Lt. Ibarra said.

One witness who saw the crowd move towards the police officers described the scene.

“You know, it was almost as if the spirit just came over them — just, you know, consumed everyone,” the woman said. “My initial thought was, ‘Oh my God! Someone’s going to get hurt bad. This is going to go really bad.'”

“You can tell [the police] were totally caught off guard and didn’t know what to do,” the witness said.

Police can be seen in the video retreating, then forming a defensive ring around others officers who handcuff the suspect.

“Officers held them back,” Ibarra said, and ultimately were able to take the suspect into custody.

“I don’t think the officers made bad decisions, necessarily,” the eyewitness said. “I think they showed great restraint in the amount of force that they used. But they showed no emotional intelligence. If one of those officers took the time to talk to people, things would have [gone] much different.”

No arrests of Black Lives Matter supporters were made on Saturday, however prior to Richards’ arrest tonight, an 11 year-old boy was arrested on Monday and was cited for delaying or otherwise obstructing a law enforcement officer who is performing his or her duties.

The boy allegedly also kicked a police vehicle during the fracas. That act is is a criminal offense.

“He tapped the car,” said one witness. “He didn’t kick it too hard, but he tapped it.”

After his arrest the juvenile, who was not identified, was released into his mother’s custody that same evening, police said.

Officials said Richards is being held in the Pasadena City Jail on $125,000 bail.

 

 

 

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