The 19-year-old shot and killed by Anaheim police while officers worked a gang-enforcement assignment last week was identified as Alberto Arzola, authorities said.
A second man was hit with a beanbag round while possibly tampering with evidence.
Two Anaheim officers were working in the 800 block of South Philadelphia Street about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, when they attempted to talk with a group of people in front of a home, Sgt. Matt Sutter said.
“The area has a long history of documented gang-related activity,” Sutter said. “The individuals ran toward a nearby residence, and the officers pursued them on foot.”
Most of them entered a home. Officers attempted to detain Arzola, Sutter said, with a struggle erupting and one officer discharging his firearm, hitting Arzola.
Officers requested paramedics and moved Arzola to a safer location, but he died, Sutter said. A loaded, assault-style firearm was found in the grass next to him, he said.
About 15 minutes later, another man, 18 years old, hopped a fence from the backyard into the front yard and ignored commands “while possibly tampering with evidence,” Sutter said. Cordova was hit with a bean-bag round and taken to a hospital for a minor injury.
The department was aware of a video circulating online that Sutter said shows the bean-bag round being fired at Cordova, not the shooting of Arzola.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office and Anaheim police were continuing independent investigations into the shooting and what led up to it.