The officers’ testimony was cited in at least five cases filed by the US Department of Justice amid the unrest.
The justice department has charged at least 26 people with “assaulting” and “impeding” federal officers and other crimes during the protests over immigration raids.
The justice department has also dismissed at least three felony assault cases it brought against Angelenos accused of interfering with arrests during recent immigration raids, the documents show.
She said officers often call for charges that prosecutors don’t end up filing, but it was uncommon for the justice department to file, then dismiss cases, especially numerous felonies in rapid succession.
There are at least 18 cases brought by the justice department against LA protesters that prosecutors have not dismissed, covering a wide array of alleged criminal conduct, according to case records the US attorney’s office shared with the Guardian.
In six of the felony dismissals reviewed by the Guardian, the justice department has refiled lower-level misdemeanors against the defendants.
The US attorney’s office filed a joint case against five demonstrators, charging each with assaulting officers, a felony the justice department warned could carry 20-year sentences. »