Councilmember Kevin de León involved in fight during community holiday event - CBS Los Angeles

Councilmember Kevin de León was progressive successful a carnal altercation during a Lincoln Heights vacation lawsuit connected Friday night.

"This evening a unit member, volunteer, and I were violently and physically assaulted by self-proclaimed activists astatine a assemblage vacation lawsuit to the dismay of a multitude of families and children who were determination to observe a Christmas histrion lighting and to person toys and food," the councilmember alleged successful a statement.

A station that deed Twitter Friday evening showed De León assaulting a section organizer. However, the councilman and his campy disputed this claim.

According to De León's spokesperson, the councilman was connected signifier astatine astir 6:30 p.m. erstwhile a radical of 5 oregon 6 radical approached him. The radical rushed De León arsenic helium tried to exit disconnected the signifier with a pistillate and her infant. At this point, 1 of the radical successful the radical is alleged to person headbutted De León, which caused an altercation betwixt the 2 men. 

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that they responded to the determination of the lawsuit aft receiving a study of a "large radical fight." Authorities said that erstwhile officers arrived determination was a antheral receiving attraction from paramedics for "body pain." Both men are said to person filed artillery reports with officers.

They program to analyse the incident.

New video posted connected Saturday by Twitter users J-Town Action and Solidarity shows the moments earlier the combat broke out.

The caller footage shows People's City Council organizer Jason Reedy, walking backwards successful beforehand of De León portion holding his telephone successful his face. As the councilman reaches a door, Reedy is pushed retired of the mode by idiosyncratic other successful the group.

When De León makes his mode done the door, Reedy follows — holding his hands successful the aerial arsenic helium stands face-to-face with the councilman. 

It was past that the scuffle shown successful the archetypal footage, which was released Friday evening. That video shows De León grabbing Reedy and pushing him into a array arsenic a radical of radical closes successful connected the pair.  

While speaking with reporters Friday evening pursuing the incident, De León said that a "group of individuals came successful ... shouting and screaming."

He alleges that they locked the doorway helium was trying to exit. 

"What is not captured, obviously, successful the video, arsenic I was up against the wall, helium thrusted his pelvis into maine past helium headbutted maine successful the forehead," De León said. 

De León added that aft helium grabbed the Reedy and pushed him astir the corner, helium was deed "across the face" twice.

He besides says that his Chief of Staff, Jennifer Barraza, took an elbow to the look erstwhile she tried to intervene. 

De León says helium plans to property charges against Reedy.

While speaking with CBS reporters successful backstage connected Saturday, Reedy said that helium had injuries to his cervix and backmost from the altercation.

On Saturday, the councilman's bureau issued a statement connected the incident.

An lawyer for Reedy released the pursuing connection connected Saturday:

"Kevin de Leon is simply a disgrace. Video footage intelligibly shows him and his supporters initiating this battle portion Mr. Reedy stands with his hands up. Not lone has Kevin de Leon mislaid each governmental legitimacy, his claims that helium was the 1 attacked present simply underscores however he's mislaid interaction with reality.

Kevin de Leon and his supporters assaulted Mr. Reedy for voicing disapproval of Kevin de Leon astatine a nationalist event, echoing the wide demands for him to resign. De Leon's supporters initiated carnal interaction by shoving him, and De Leon himself grabbed Mr. Reedy. Mr. Reedy had his hands up and did not initiate carnal interaction with anyone. Mr. Reedy has reported the battle to LAPD."

The connection besides calls De León's Friday nighttime interrogation with reports "rambling" and "including claims that Mr Reedy oregon others initiated carnal contact, initiated a fight, oregon locked exit doors."

On Friday, aft a months-long absence, Kevin de León returned to City Council chambers for the archetypal clip since the fallout pursuing the merchandise of a racist speech involving the embattled councilman and two other councilmembers.

"The escalating rhetoric is hitting a fever pitch, transcending from verbal threats into existent acts of unit and indispensable extremity earlier much superior harm oregon nonaccomplishment of beingness occurs," de León's spokesperson said. "Violence is not escaped code and has nary spot successful authorities oregon democracy." 

After learning of the incident, Council President Paul Krekorian issued a statement, which read: 

"This evening, Councilmember Kevin De León, a subordinate of his unit and a unpaid were physically attacked by radical who disrupted a assemblage vacation lawsuit to telephone for his resignation. This benignant of transgression is intolerable successful a escaped society, and the incidental volition beryllium vigorously investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department.

No substance what disputes we whitethorn person with elected officials oregon our chap citizens, unit similar this is wholly unacceptable. In a escaped nine governmental disagreements are unavoidable, and passionate treatment is necessary, but unit discredits the origin that employs it.

This metropolis has endured horrendous part and toxicity successful caller months. We request to cull hatred successful each of its forms, and we request to cull the ambiance of intimidation, bullying and threats that person go each excessively commonplace successful this metropolis and crossed the country. Whatever presumption each of america takes connected the controversies of the day, we request to cull convulsive words and particularly convulsive acts, and we request to commencement treating each different with the aforesaid respect we privation others to amusement america adjacent erstwhile we disagree."