A day before ‘Super Tuesday’, the county attorney had to apologize for her husband’s actions.
Visibly affected and moved by Los Angeles County Prosecutor Jackie Lacey, she apologized on behalf of her husband for the incident that occurred Monday when he pointed a gun at a group of protesters outside her home.
"His answer was out of fear," Lacey said, pausing between sentences. “And after realizing what happened, he wanted me to tell the person who was protesting and to show him the weapon that felt it. He deeply regrets it and did not want to harm anyone. ”
The incident occurred on Monday shortly before 6 a.m. – one day after the election where Lacey ran for a third term as county attorney – outside her home in Granada Hills. A group of Black Lives Matters came to protest after Lacey promised to attend a community meeting but didn't show up.
Images from the video show David Lacey, Jackie's husband, with a gun in hand and furiously asking them to move away from home.
"I am also sorry if someone was harmed, it was never my intention to harm any protesters," Lacey added at a press conference at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles. "I just want to live in peace and do my job."
Lacey said that as a district attorney she has received multiple death threats, they have followed her and photographed her with her family. He added that they have also confronted her in an art museum and in her fundraising events.
Black Lives Matter protesters said they were still shocked hours after the incident. A group arrived at Hall of Justice –in front of the town hall– to offer a press conference after Lacey spoke.
The protesters agreed that only the one to whom they have pointed a gun so close can feel life pass by in a matter of seconds.
"That's what we think this morning," said an organizer identified as Akile.
Melina Abdullah, a member of Black Lives Matter, is the voice of the woman heard in the video asking for Lacey.
She said they have been protesting for two and a half years for Lacey to answer accusations over the deaths of men of color at the hands of law enforcement officials and protesters feel that fair justice has not been done.
In January 2018, protesters say that Lacey left a group of 100 community members planted and at the end of 2019 promised another meeting which he did not make.
"This morning when we went to Lacey's house we were trying to make him take responsibility for his word," Abdullah said.
So on the eve of his candidacy for reelection, the group placed chairs on the public sidewalk in front of Lacey's house to have a public meeting and invite her.
"I thought naively that maybe I could go to her door and ring the bell and ask her out," Abdullah said. "Initially we thought that maybe nobody would answer the door, but maybe, just maybe, because she is running now as a progressive, maybe she would finally come to talk to us."
It was when in a matter of seconds they were received by the husband pointing his gun.
“I don't know how I gathered the words to say good morning. But I did it. And he said, "Get out of my porch." And I said, ás Will you shoot me? ’His finger was on the trigger and the gun was pointed at my chest.”
Protesters said they will make sure to make their discontent heard on Tuesday at the polls when they choose the next county attorney.
Today, prosecutor Lacey confronts former San Francisco district attorney, George Gascón, of Cuban roots and former Los Angeles public defender, Rachel Rossi, of Dominican roots.
In a press release, Rossi said that the reason why these altercations have occurred is because of Lacey's lack of interest in listening to the same people who chose her and those she has ignored since 2016.
"The collective pain and despair of our marginalized communities continue to grow as they are ignored," Rossi said. "Jackie Lacey has pledged to meet with family members and has broken that promise."
Rossi added that if she is elected as a district attorney, she will never run away from the community.
"And I never thought I would have to say it, but neither will I threaten to shoot, or others threaten to shoot, community members who protest my actions."
