Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez publicly disputed claims from federal officials that Department of Homeland Security officers were under attack at a protest last month.
Police officials apparently refused calls for help from Department of Homeland Security officials at the federal plaza in the downtown civic center as federal officials confronted peaceful protesters, eventually shooting projectiles at demonstrators, which in one highly publicized case hit a protester in the eye.
It’s a stark contrast to the scenes from last June when the Santa Ana Police Department was criticized by many residents for standing alongside Homeland Security agents in the midst of protests against ICE raids.
During those initial protests against the ICE raids, police eventually fired tear gas and other projectiles against a crowd of largely peaceful protesters.
[Read: Santana: Were Santa Ana Police Justified in Firing On Peaceful Protesters?]
Details on the refusal to help DHS agents emerged earlier this month during a public debate over a controversial police drone contract — with one city council member disclosing the January incident while asking Santa Ana Police Chief Rodriguez questions about how the drones had actually protected peaceful protesters.
“Were we ever called by DHS for support?” asked Santa Ana City Councilwoman Thai Viet Phan, referring to the events in early January at the downtown civic center federal plaza.
“Yes, we were,” replied Santa Ana Police Chief Rodriguez at the Feb. 3 council meeting.
“It’s my understanding that DHS called us seven times,” Viet Phan continued.
“That is correct,” Rodriguez replied.
“To say that they were being attacked by protesters. Is that correct?” asked the councilwoman.
“Yes,” replied the chief.
“And we never deployed in support of DHS because we had a drone monitoring the situation. Is that correct?” she continued.
“That is correct,” said Rodriquez.
“And Commander Sorenson was able to say, ‘You’re not under attack. We are not deploying our officers.’ Is that correct?” she asked.
“That is correct,” he replied.
That exchange prompted Councilwoman Viet Phan to note her support for the drone contract, saying that kind of tactical flexibility from the use of drones “is the absolute correct way to use these drones in order to prevent SAPD from being deployed in or in order to prevent other agencies from utilizing SAPD for their purposes.”
She added that, “this was how we were able to allow Santa Ana residents to protest and exercise their First Amendment rights. This is how the use of a drone helped residents protest the illegal and terrible things that ICE is doing.”
Department of Homeland Security officials did not respond to emailed questions.
When I asked a Santa Ana police spokeswoman to confirm the incident, I got an emailed statement about the contention that DHS calls for help were denied.
“We did not deny their calls,” stated Santa Ana Police Spokeswoman Natalie Garcia in an emailed response to questions, “We had dialogue.”
“An agent from the Department of Homeland Security contacted a supervisor and made several phone calls to our Communications Center requesting assistance from the Santa Ana Police Department,” Garcia wrote.
“At that time, SAPD command staff was operating from our Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and had an aerial overview of the incident. Based on the information available, it was determined that immediate SAPD assistance was not necessary.”
Garcia confirmed the city councilwoman’s comments that SAPD only responded to the scene to protect county firefighters offering medical aid to protesters.
“SAPD personnel provided assistance to OCFA by establishing perimeter security and scene protection,” Garcia wrote, ”allowing fire personnel to safely access and treat the injured individuals.”
City Councilman Ben Vazquez, in a phone interview last week credited Santa Ana police, saying it was a good example of the department adjusting its response to a changing situation and respecting community sentiments.
Vazquez said he’s looking forward to a department report and public discussion on last June’s protest response that’s expected in 60 days, saying it’s a good opportunity for dialogue between residents and the police department.
[Read: Santana: Police Tactics Against Peaceful Protesters in Santa Ana Get a Public Hearing]
Vazquez credits city police saying in the past, “they’ve been good with protests … by not confronting them (protesters),” adding that he thinks what happened last June was out of character for the department, saying the most recent engagement with Homeland Security officials proves it.
“I’ve seen them adjust,” Vazquez said, adding, “Now, we know it’s a different day.”