Viral video shows police pointing guns at Black teens who were allegedly victims of attack

Multiple police officers in Santa Clarita Valley, Calif., are under scrutiny after footage went viral showing them pointing guns at a group of Black teenagers shortly after the teens were allegedly attacked at a bus stop. 

In footage shared by Tammi Collins, identified by CBS Los Angeles as the mother of one of the teenagers, on Instagram this past weekend, three officers could be seen pointing guns at the teens, who had their hands raised, as people could be heard repeatedly yelling phrases to them off-camera such as “It’s not them” and “It’s the other guy.”

Collins said in the post that the police arrived on the scene shortly after her son and his friends had been attacked by a homeless man. Collins said the man had initially approached her son and his friends to ask them “if they had any crack, then tried to take their things.” 

The man allegedly became aggressive, removed his shirt, and “pulled out a knife and whip,” attempting to stab the group. 

“His friends only had their skate boards to cover them from the knife and whip so they held it out to keep distance from this guy. Several bystanders including the restaurant manager of Buffalo Wild Wings called the police to get help for the boys but ‘one’ caller called the police and reported two black guys are attacking a homeless guy,” Collins wrote in the post.

At one point in the clip, a woman who identified herself as a manager at Buffalo Wild Wings told the officers, “I’m the one that called you. It was not them.” 

As the teenagers could be seen being detained by the officers, bystanders could be heard off-camera calling out the officers, saying repeatedly, “They don’t care because they’re Black.”

The video, which lasts more than 11 minutes, has racked up more than 86,000 views on Instagram in the past two days. 

In her post over the weekend, Collins said her son and his friends “will never forget” the moment while also writing, “I’m still [wondering] how will I ever help my son recover from this traumatic experience.”

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva addressed the footage in a video statement on Monday, saying the incident is currently under investigation.

“I’ve seen the recent video involving the Santa Clarita incident, which has gone viral, and I have concerns regarding the tactics employed,” Villanueva said.

“A call for service was received regarding a felony assault, and the deputies detained those allegedly to be involved,” he continued. “The matter is currently being investigated.”

The report comes as protests against racism and police brutality have continued across the nation in recent months following the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans.