4 Arrested Following Officer-Involved Shooting At Pro-Israel Rally
WESTWOOD (CBSLA.com) — Wilshire Boulevard reopened Monday after an officer-involved shooting at a pro-Israel rally closed it down overnight for an investigation.
The shooting occurred around 5:45 p.m. Sunday outside the Federal Building in Westwood, officials said.
KNX 1070's Margaret Carrero reports the rally was held by Stand With Us, a non-profit Israel education program, to demonstrate solidarity for the state in its recent conflict with Hamas in the Gaza strip.
Witnesses said four men in a truck waved pro-Palestinian flags and attacked the pro-Israel demonstrators with sticks. KCAL9's Kristine Lazar reports investigators say a woman was injured during the alleged assault.
A Homeland Security Officer who witnessed the assault "intervened and an officer-involved (non-hit) shooting occurred," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
The officer has been placed on leave and his weapon seized as evidence while the use-of-force allegation is being investigated.
No injuries were reported in the shooting incident.
Israeli Consul General David Siegel said the standoff is reflective of the current barrage of rocket attacks launched by Islamist terror group Hamas against Israeli citizens.
"All of this is part of a much larger and very dangerous confrontation right now, where Israel faces a brutal terror organization that has fired over 1,000 rockets in the last week," Siegel said.
The LAPD arrested Mostadafa Hafez, 19, Hassan Kreidieh, 41, Mohammed Elkhatib, 35, and 38-year-old Fadi Obeidallah for assault with a deadly weapon. All but one suspect were free on $30,000 as of Monday morning.
The shooting remains under investigation and the officer was placed on paid administrative leave.