The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has decided not to pursue a case against an 18-year-old man who was arrested in connection with an incident at a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA in late April. Instead, the case has been referred to the City Attorney’s Office for possible misdemeanor charges.
In a statement released on June 21, District Attorney George Gascón stated that his office conducted a thorough review of the incident involving Mr. Edan On, who was accused of assaulting another protester. However, prosecutors were unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. On’s actions directly caused the victim’s injury.
“There is no evidence to suggest that Mr. On was working with others, and our investigation did not uncover any conspiracy or organized effort by Mr. On in relation to the incident,” the district attorney explained. “Therefore, we believe it is appropriate to refer the matter to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office for potential misdemeanor charges.”
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office confirmed that they are currently reviewing the case for possible misdemeanor charges.
Mr. On was arrested on May 23 in Beverly Hills by the UCLA Police Department on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, according to campus police and jail records.
“Detectives interviewed witnesses and victims and reviewed security camera footage from the pro-Palestinian demonstration to identify the suspect, who was not affiliated with the campus and was allegedly part of a group that violently attacked students, faculty, and staff on April 30,” a statement from the UCLA Police Department read.
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Mr. On was released on bond on May 24, according to jail records.
The District Attorney’s Office also mentioned that they are currently looking into another incident stemming from the UCLA demonstration.
