A Santa hat-wearing councilman and an activist who got into a brawl at a California Christmas tree lighting and toy giveaway will not be charged, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
LA City Councilman Kevin de León had been at the holiday event in Lincoln Park last year when he got into a confrontation with Jason Reedy, the Times wrote. It was de Leon's first public appearance after an audio tape that recorded his and others making racist remarks was leaked.
He was met at the event by protesters who called him a racist.
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The activist, Jason Reedy, told the Times, “I’m relieved I’m not being charged as I was the one that was assaulted and attacked."
“I am absolutely disappointed to see that the city attorney did not feel the need to charge Kevin de León, but it is what it is at this point.”
Video of the incident shows de León being heckled and jeered by a throng of activists who were apparently trying to block him from exiting the holiday event. In the video, Reedy can be seen pressing his body up against de León and screaming in his face.
At one point, Reedy bangs his forehead into de León's, prompting the councilman to grab him and push him down onto a table where a short grappling match between two ensued before bystanders broke them apart.
In a statement released at the times, the councilman said: “The escalating rhetoric is hitting a fever pitch, transcending from verbal threats into actual acts of violence and must end before more serious harm or loss of life occurs."
He did not comment to the Times after the decision was made not to charge.
Watch the video below or at this link.
New video shows moments before Kevin de León fightwww.youtube.com
