Protests Break Out In California After Police Fatally Shoot Homeless Man

Five people were arrested during a mostly peaceful protest following the fatal shooting of a Black homeless man by an Orange County sheriff's deputy. The shooting happened on Wednesday (September 23) in San Clemente, California, when two deputies confronted the man, identified as 42-year-old Kurt Andras Reinhold.

Authorities did not say why the officers, who were part of the department's Homeless Outreach Team, made contact with Reinhold. The situation escalated and resulted in a physical altercation between Reinhold and the two officers. As the three wrestled on the ground, police said that Reinhold tried to grab one of the deputies guns, at which point the other officer fired two shots.

The officers attempted to revive Reinhold, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sheriff Don Barnes released a grainy image that appears to show Reinhold reaching for the officer's gun and said that nearby surveillance camera footage capturing the confrontation would be released after investigators have finished reviewing it. Barnes urged the public to be patient and not to spread misinformation about the case.

"What we as a community should not tolerate is the commentary or action that serves to divide, create mistrust or cause harm," he said in a statement. "Spreading rumors and misinformation about (the) reason he was contacted by deputies is irresponsible and dangerous. It serves to inflame and drive an anti-police narrative, and is not indicative of the factual information regarding this singular incident."

Photo: Getty Images


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