EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Mayoral candidate and Los Angeles City Councilmember Joe Buscaino abruptly fled his own campaign kick-off event in Venice Monday, as police arrested a woman for brandishing a knife. The woman, who identified herself with only the name Angel, said she had the knife for self-defense because she is living unhoused on the Venice Beach Boardwalk.
“I have a knife because people (expletive) try to rape me every day, dog,” Angel pleaded as police pried the blade from her hand at the public parking lot.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department said a captain was injured during the arrest.
Witness Nico Ruderman was waiting to talk to Buscaino when he says the woman pulled out a knife.
“I looked her in the eye and she said ‘I’m going to start killing people’ and I’m like ‘holy (expletive)’ and I jumped forward and grabbed Joe along with one other person and we started pushing Joe (away),” Ruderman said.
Minutes earlier, video taken by Spectrum News 1 shows the woman pick up the knife and put it in a front pocket of her overalls, cross her arms over her chest and move closer to Buscaino.
“It was pretty scary,” Ruderman said.
Councilmember Buscaino is a former full-time LAPD officer and current reserve officer. He supports using police to clear encampments along the boardwalk.
“This is exactly why I was in Venice Beach today, charting a new course for our city, and I am convinced now, more than ever, that bold action is needed to make our city safer for everyone, regardless of housing status,” Buscaino said.
Nearby, homeless advocates from Street Watch organized their own event to bring food and services to the unhoused. The group opposes police involvement in the homeless crisis.
“I don’t feel that it’s unsafe. I live here. I’m out here every day. I don’t have any issues with safety,” Redmond said.
She says until the city can offer permanent housing solutions, unhoused people have nowhere else to go, and police disrupt efforts to help them get back on their feet.
“We all need to demand housing, housing, housing,” she said. “Housing is healthcare. Housing will help take care of a lot of these issues.”
Ruderman is behind a campaign to recall Councilman Mike Bonin over the encampment issue.
“I want Venice to be safe. I want tourists to be able to come down here. I want to be able to take my son back down to the boardwalk,” Ruderman said.
Buscaino’s staff said the councilman hired private security for the event, worried there could be violence in Venice.