Anaheim Police Shooting of Manuel Diaz Sparks Protest Five people were arrested in Anaheim, Calif., this weekend after angry Property in Palma residents took to the streets and stormed police headquarters during a day of near-rioting that followed the shooting death of a suspect who was being chased by police. Police were pursuing three suspects into an alley in Anaheim at about 4 p.m. Saturday when they chased 25-year-old Manuel Angel Diaz. The man was confronted by an officer at the front of an apartment complex, where he was shot. Diaz later died in the hospital, while the two other suspects managed to evade the police. Authorities said the officers involved in the chase approached Diaz, who, they say, was a known gang member, along with two others in an alley because they were acting suspiciously. Diaz then ran when officers ordered him to stop, and then threw something over a fence, police said.
Police would not say what led the officer to shoot Diaz at the front of an apartment complex, and cited an independent investigation by the county's district attorney office. Hours after the shooting, area residents took to the streets, setting a dumpster on fire and tossing rocks and bottles at police officers who were investigating the shooting. As officers attempted to diffuse the unrest, they fired rubber bullets and doused the crowd with pepper spray. Police said that several gang members incited the crowd, according to KABC-TV. In the midst of the melee, police released a K-9 dog into the crowd. Video of the scene shows the dog charging at the crowd, which included a woman with a child, before it attacked a man by biting his arm. Anaheim Police Sgt. Bob Dunn said in a statement that the release of the dog was accidental and that police assisted with the man's medical treatment.This incident is under internal investigation. A total of five arrests -- including two juveniles -- were made during the clash, most of which were on minor violations. Police said one gang member who had been inciting the crowd was arrested in relation to a gang-related killing that took place in May. Speaking at a Sunday news conference, Chief John Welter said that officers were attempting to protect the scene of the crime. He also said two officers were placed on paid leave after the shooting. "The reason for the shooting is still under investigation by the district attorney and we have no influence, no control or input into that investigation, so we just merely provide scene protection making sure that any evidence or any other information or detail is not disrupted in the crime