Federal officer fires gun at pro-Israel rally to break up altercation
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Nobody was hurt when a federal officer fired a single shot while attempting to break up an altercation during a pro-Israel demonstration in Los Angeles, sheriff's officials said.
The officer of the Federal Protective Service fired a weapon during the rally at the Federal Building in Westwood on Sunday, according to a sheriff's statement. The FPS is the security police division of the Department of Homeland Security.
The demonstration, which drew several hundred people, was breaking up when pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian supporters began to clash.
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Witnesses said the confrontation included a scuffle between the pro-Israel protesters and men who drove past the protest in a truck displaying a Palestinian flag, KNBC-TV reported.
A man in the truck said the Palestinian flag was ripped away. When the truck's occupants attempted to retrieve the flag, there was a struggle, witnesses said.
The officer sought to intervene and fired once, the sheriff's statement said. There were no injuries.
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Four people were arrested, officials said.
The shooting will be investigated by the Sheriff's Department, assisted by the FBI, bureau spokeswoman Laura Eimiller told KNBC-TV.
Sunday's rally followed a similar one Saturday in support of Palestinians.