Man Arrested in Protest Over Slaying by Police

CLAREMONT —  A Los Angeles activist protesting a controversial police shooting was arrested after staging a sit-in at the front door of City Hall, then moving inside when he realized people were using another entrance and no officers were moving to arrest him.

“You mean there’s another door?” Najee Ali said after an hour at the doorstep.

Ali, the head of Project Islamic Hope, said he wanted to be arrested to shed light on the case of Irvin Landrum Jr., who was shot to death by two Claremont police officers last January. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating, although the district attorney has determined the officers did not act criminally.

“This is not a black or white issue, it’s a human rights issue,” Ali said before his arrest on suspicion of civil disobedience.

Obee Landrum, the victim’s uncle, said his group of protesters did not condemn or support Ali’s action. But he has said he is worried about outside activist groups with their own agendas joining the rallies and discrediting his struggle to get answers about the death of his nephew.

Sitting on a counter, Ali announced: “I’m taking over the city.”

He was arrested after a polite exchange with a police captain, who informed him that he was obstructing the city’s business.