L.A. protesters blocked entrance of hospital where wounded deputies taken, sheriff says

Anti-police protesters in Los Angeles County blocked the entrance and exit to a hospital where two deputies had been taken following an ambush-syle shooting, the sheriff’s department said early Sunday.

A small protest developed outside St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood where two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies had been taken after both being shot in the head while sitting inside a patrol car Saturday night. Both deputies are in stable condition and expected to survive after what is being described as an unprovoked, ambush attack. The suspect is still on the loose.

The sheriff’s department said two arrests were made after demonstrators refused to disperse from blocking the hospital’s emergency room entrance and exit.

“To the protesters blocking the entrance & exit of the HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM yelling ‘We hope they die’ referring to 2 LA Sheriff’s ambushed today in #Compton: DO NOT BLOCK EMERGENCY ENTRIES & EXITS TO THE HOSPITAL,” the department tweeted. “People’s lives are at stake when ambulances can’t get through.”

The sheriff’s department later said a male protester had been arrested for refusing to comply with orders to disperse and a woman was arrested for trying to interfere with that arrest. The woman was later identified as KPCC radio reporter Josie Huang, who “did not identify herself as press and later admitted she did not have proper press credentials on her person,” the sheriff’s department said.

Ms. Huang said she was wearing a press lanyard while reporting outside the hospital and her employer is now demanding the obstruction charge be dropped.

Multiple videos were posted on social media showing the protesters screaming epithets and berating the deputies and security personnel blocking them from entering.

Century Sheriff’s Station Captain Kerry Carter said the incident is under investigation.

“We are aware of the incident which occurred in front of a hospital which resulted in two arrests,” the captain tweeted. “There is footage of the incident and an active investigation is underway. We are unable to comment further at this time.”