Anti-Police Protesters Yell 'We Hope They Die' Outside Hospital Where Wounded Deputies Were Taken
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – After two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were wounded in an unprovoked ambush-style shooting in Compton, an anti-police protest unfolded outside the hospital where both were taken for treatment.
Deputies responded to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, Calif. on Saturday evening where protesters converged outside of the emergency room with some yelling, "We hope they die."
"To the protesters blocking the entrance & exit of the HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM yelling 'We hope they die' referring to 2 LA Sheriff's ambushed today in #Compton: DO NOT BLOCK EMERGENCY ENTRIES & EXITS TO THE HOSPITAL," the sheriff's department tweeted. "People's lives are at stake when ambulances can't get through." That tweet has since been removed.
As deputies issued a dispersal order to the protesters, who were blocking the hospital emergency entrance and exits, one of the male protesters refused to comply and cooperate, according to deputies.
"During his arrest, a struggle ensued at which time a female adult ran towards the deputies, ignored repeated commands to stay back as they struggled with the male and interfered with the arrest," the sheriff's department tweeted.
"The female adult, who was later identified as a member of the press, did not identify herself as press and later admitted she did not have proper press credentials on her person," the department further said via Twitter.
The female adult has since been identified as KPCC radio reporter Josie Huang pushed back on Twitter after she was released from custody saying she was wearing a press lanyard while reporting outside the hospital and suffered injuries during her arrest.
The shooting unfolded around 7 p.m. as the deputies sat in their patrol car at a Metro rail station. Both deputies are listed in critical condition.