‘Who are you?’ Video shows police in unmarked van arrest San Diego protester
A 20-year-old protester was arrested and placed in an unmarked van by San Diego plainclothes detectives, prompting other protesters to yell “Who are you?” and “What is happening?”, according to a video that was posted on Twitter.
Before driving away, one officer responded to the protesters, saying “you follow us, you will get shot, you understand me?”, according to the video.
An internal investigation is underway, said David Nisleit, San Diego Chief of Police.
Police arrested Shayla Piccini, a San Diego State University student, at a rally last Thursday with the help of SWAT officers in tactical gear, outlets report.
The video was taken in the downtown area, following an anti-police brutality protest demanding an end to racial injustice, outlets report. A memorial service for George Floyd, a black Minneapolis man who died after a police officer placed his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes, was being held the same day.
San Diego Police Department said officers in a nearby minivan swooped in after witnessing Piccini step into the street and attempt to hit a passing motorcycle cop with a cardboard sign, the San Diego Tribune reported.
But two witnesses — one of which is Piccini’s cousin — say that’s not what happened.
“One cop rode pretty close to her, so she threw her arms down, kind of like you would if a motorcycle flew by within a couple feet of you,” cousin Jaycie Matthews said. Matthews is also the one who recorded the video, according to the Tribune.
After seeing the video, San Diego City Council president Georgette Gomez called for “an immediate and thorough investigation into this incident, and for the officer who threatened to kill unarmed protesters to be placed on leave,” a release said. “It is incredibly disturbing to hear police officers threaten people’s lives.”
Police say the officer who threatened to shoot was carrying less than lethal weaponry, and that officers are trained to announce if they are going to use force, according to KGTV.
Piccini’s mother told KGTV she believed her daughter had been kidnapped.
“This is exactly what’s being fought,” she said. “You have innocent people with their hands up, telling you, ‘Just tell me where she is going?’ And that’s the reaction. ‘Don’t follow us, or I will shoot you.’ I ask that the next time you encounter somebody, please just treat them with a little bit of compassion, empathy, and understanding.”
This story was originally published June 8, 2020 at 2:40 PM.