During a Canyon High School walkout protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday morning, an unrelated traffic stop in the same area led deputies to disperse pepper spray on a crowd of students who intervened, a Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station official said.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle at gas station located near the 19300 block of Soledad Canyon Road, according to Shirley Miller, a spokeswoman for the SCV Sheriff’s Station.
According to Miller, a crowd of students who participated in the walkout earlier in the day approached the deputies while they were conducting their traffic stop investigation.
The crowd threw items such as a water bottle and rocks, striking the two deputies, which led to a brief deployment of pepper spray to create distance and restore order, she added. The crowd dispersed soon after.
Bystander video clips on social media show a crowd of students getting within a few feet of the deputies. The incident involved approximately 50-75 students, Miller stated.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department supports the right to peacefully protest and to exercise First Amendment rights,” Miller wrote in an email to The Signal on behalf of the LASD. “However, when actions become violent or criminal, law enforcement will take appropriate action to ensure public safety and uphold the law.”
Deputies sustained minor injuries but did not require medical treatment, according to Miller, and no other injuries were reported.
Miller could not provide additional information on details of the traffic stop as of the publication of this story, and the incident remains under active investigation.
There were no reports of vandalism or arrests made, Miller added.
The William S. Hart Union High School District sent a statement to district parents following the incident.
“Our priority remains maintaining a safe, orderly, and uninterrupted learning environment for all students while on campus. Instructional time was not impacted for those who remained on campus. School administrators, while working with district personnel, followed established protocols, and local law enforcement monitored the situation for safety purposes,” the statement read.
“Please have a conversation with your student today, about making respectful and safe decisions regarding following school policies,” it added.
The message also stated that students were not permitted to “Walk Out” during the school day and did so without school authorization.
