Three people were arrested when Covina police tried to stop protesters from vandalizing the home of a LA County sheriff's deputy involved in the shooting death of 18-year-old Andres Guardado in June, authorities said Sunday.
The protest began peacefully about 4 p.m. Sunday in the 400 block of Cedar Avenue, said Covina police Lt. Ryan Davis. There were 80 to 100 people at its peak.
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Television video showed many people carried signs with the words, "Sop Racist Police Terror.''
Officers monitored the protest but did not move in and take up positions until about 6 p.m., when at least one protester went onto the property to place signs and write accusations in chalk about the deputy being a murderer, Davis said.
``One of the protesters ended up pushing one officer,'' he said. When officers tried to arrest that woman, another woman and others in the crowd pulled her away from them, Davis said.
After 7 p.m., the officers declared the protest an unlawful assembly and ordered demonstrators to disperse, he said.
One man was arrested for suspicion of trespassing and lying about his identity to officers, Davis said. The woman who allegedly pushed the officer was arrested for suspicion of battery on a police officer and another woman was arrested for suspicion of lynching, which was described as intervening in an arrest.
All three were to be cited and released, he said.
This was the third protest at the deputy's home that Davis knew about. The others were Thursday and Friday.
