Amid protests sparked by a weekend immigration enforcement operation in Los Angeles County, workers at a Salvadoran restaurant in Compton were seen helping injured deputies who had responded to the scene.
Footage captured by stringer service OnScene.TV shows at least three Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies being treated by employees at Restaurante Y Pupuseria La Ceiba, a local Salvadoran eatery on East Alondra Boulevard.
The deputies appeared to be suffering from protest-related injuries, including what seemed to be irritation from pepper spray. Video shows two deputies seated inside the restaurant while about four or five workers fanned their faces with plates and provided them with ice and poured a refreshing beverage—possibly water or a traditional drink—to rinse out their eyes and ease the discomfort.
The circumstances of how or why the deputies ended up inside the restaurant remain unclear. However, OnScene.TV reports the incident took place during protests in Compton that followed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid earlier in the day in the nearby city of Paramount.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that around 11 a.m. Saturday, deputies were dispatched to the 6400 block of Alondra Boulevard in Paramount on reports of a large group blocking traffic—only a few blocks away from the restaurant.
“As deputies arrived, it appeared that federal law enforcement officers were in the area, and that members of the public were gathering to protest,” LASD said. “The sheriff’s department was not involved in any federal law enforcement operations or actions and responded solely for traffic and crowd control management.”
United States Attorney Bill Essayli stated on social media that federal law enforcement operations are “proceeding as planned this weekend in Los Angeles County” and advised that anyone who tries to interfere with their enforcement will be arrested and prosecuted.
While the extent of the deputies’ injuries was not immediately disclosed, the video ends with them reassembling their gear and appearing to return to their patrol vehicles.
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