For months, the man has been plaguing South Bay Beach City residents with offensive remarks and vulgar words while filming arguments and posting videos on social media.
The disability has upset residents and prompted complaints to local police who barely relied on as his speech was protected by the First Amendment and the victims had not come forward.
On Thursday, Hermosa Beach Police announced a resolution on the unusual community issues. The man was placed in a mental health hold that allowed him to stay off the street for more than 48 hours.
Authorities say the man who police refused to identify recently posted a video on Hermosa Beach Pier, a nearby street, sometimes “approaching a woman” and “approaching a woman).
On Wednesday, the Hermosa Beach Police Station received many calls about people who were live streaming on Instagram from Hermosa Beach Pier Plaza and Pier Avenue area around 1:45pm.
“The video that person was livestreamed had some offensive and outright disgusting content,” said Paul LeBaron, Chief of Hermosa Beach Police. “This person was trying to seek responses from passersby and the community as a whole.
When officers arrived at the pier, the man was gone and no one identified himself as a victim of the crime.
A video posted online showed he was trying to induce a response, but “no video depicting a crime we could pursue without the victim being targeted,” LeBaron said.
Around 3pm, the police station received another round of calls regarding a similar interference at the Pier Plaza.
On Instagram, almost at the same time, someone removed his phone and the same guy was shown live streaming until the live stream ended. But it is unclear who called or what happened. Authorities are investigating the loss of the phone.
Police said a group of citizens surrounded the man at the Pier Plaza and corresponding officers were able to intervene.
Again, the victim came forward and the responding officers were unable to take enforcement action.
The man eventually left the area.
Early Thursday morning, the same man interacted with Redondo Beach police and was taken to hospital, where he was detained for a mental health assessment.
Mental health holds are usually 48 hours, but officials said they could extend the number depending on the incident.
“If he chooses to return to Hermosa Beach, our executives will know who he is,” HB Cares said they can contact the mobile mental health and crisis response team.
Police departments in Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach have also been in contact with the same man, causing similar interference in the community.
“Their investigation also shows that the crime has not been decided and that the victim has not stepped up to say that there is a crime based on his interaction with this person,” LeBaron said.
The police chief said he knows that community members are unhappy with not being arrested for harassment.
“The short answer is speech, and even the vulgar and disgusting speeches this man uses are protected by our constitution,” he said. “There are no actual crimes of harassment. If there is, we certainly will enforce it.”
Based on film interactions, if the victim comes forward, the man could be investigated by causing a fight or fight, deliberately maliciously disturbing others, or uttering offensive words that could trigger an immediate, violent reaction.
Police are asking the victim approached by the man to contact him at (310) 318-0360.
“What we really want to avoid or encourage people to avoid is this vigilante mentality. [the community] You need to put the law into your own hands,” LeBaron said. “That won’t help.”
Source link
