The 18-year-old man arrested after an alleged attack on a pro-Palestinian encampment on the UCLA campus in April will not be charged with a crime after the Los Angeles County district attorney denied the request Friday.
Instead, the case has been referred to the Public Prosecution Service for a misdemeanor charge.
The suspect is accused of attacking and injuring a protester during the chaotic dueling protests that took place on campus on April 30 and led to a violent clashes and hundreds of arrests.
In a statement issued Friday, District Attorney George Gascón said they could not “conclusively establish” that the suspect “directly caused the victim’s injury.”
He further noted that there was no evidence to suggest that the suspect was working directly with other individuals and no evidence of conspiracy or organized efforts was found.
“This is a very concerning matter for us, we take it very seriously,” Gascón said while speaking to KCAL News. “We are not downplaying the fact that there was an assault, we simply do not believe the case should be prosecuted as a crime. That does not mean we believe a crime did not occur.”
The suspect, a high school student, was arrested May 23 in Beverly Hills and booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon by officers from the UCLA Police Department. He was released on bail the next day.
Police identified him after reviewing security camera footage and determined he was among the group that “violently attacked students, faculty and staff on April 30,” according to a police statement.
UCLA professor Sherene Razack, who supports the movement for justice in Palestine, said she is disappointed with Gascón’s decision, but especially with the way pro-Palestinian protesters have been treated.
“The real problem is not one violent counter-protester, or two, or three, or four,” she said. “The real problem is much more serious than that and we must pursue strategies of accountability outside the criminal justice system.”
Gascón said his office is also investigating a second misdemeanor case related to assault allegations, but said he could not provide more information until their final decision comes by the end of the month. He also says they could be looking at a third case in the near future.
