On January 4th of this year, a criminal case involving the assault of protesters by security guards using pepper spray at the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles was scheduled to begin in the criminal court on Tuesday (the 10th), but was postponed at the request of the defense attorneys. The court further confirmed the information of multiple victims. The plaintiffs also supplemented the evidence to government attorneys, leading to the accused facing six charges, with the possibility of four additional new charges.
On Tuesday morning, eight assaulted plaintiffs and several eyewitnesses rushed to the Criminal Court of the Los Angeles Superior Court; the defendant himself did not appear, with his attorney requesting a postponement.
Subsequently, government attorneys and the plaintiffs verified information outside the court. The court documents listed five victims, but the victims objected to this. They provided evidence demonstrating that there were actually eight victims and argued for more severe charges to be brought.
One of the five victims, a member of the Chinese Democratic Party, Le Zai Lin, provided more video evidence. He told a reporter that the security guard accused of using pepper spray had provoked them multiple times before the attack, exhibiting behavior tantamount to “enticing murder.” “He said, ‘Come up here… the three of us will take care of you,’ while making a gesturing motion,” Le Zai Lin said, indicating that the security guard “attempted to bring us closer to him, as he already had his hands on a gun and a can of pepper spray.”
He mentioned that the details of the incident had widely circulated online, causing a stir; the information previously submitted to the court was not fully included. To the parties involved, the intimidation by the guard named Wu was deemed a “threat to life” that “physically and mentally harmed us.”
Within a month after the incident, Le Zai Lin found it difficult to open his eyes due to being sprayed with pepper spray, with his upper eyelids drooping. “I wore sunglasses for over a month, applied eye drops for over a month, washed my eyes every day, before finally removing the sunglasses.” Even now, if he spends too much time outdoors, his eyes feel dry, fatigued, and he has the urge to close them quickly, otherwise, it becomes very uncomfortable.
Moreover, the attack left a severe psychological scar on Le Zai Lin, making it difficult for him to sleep and causing frequent nightmares.
Another victim, Jie Li Jian, chairman of the Chinese Democratic Party International Alliance, stated that they also informed government attorneys of an incident: after the defendant was arrested on January 4th, he was released on bail on the 6th. Subsequently, at a gathering, they saw the same security guard seemingly carrying a firearm. They sought legal advice on this matter and were informed that if true, the defendant had violated the terms of his bail.
Jie Li Jian mentioned that he still carries a weapon, causing significant psychological pressure on the protest participants. “I continue to take medication, suffer from headaches, insomnia, and constantly feel fearful and scared. The doctor diagnosed it as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a type of stress disorder,” he said.
In a statement issued on the 11th, Jie Li Jian revealed that government attorneys stated that four additional criminal charges would be added on top of the defendant’s existing six charges. According to the court schedule, the next hearing is set for May 7th.
Jie Li Jian expressed gratitude to the judge, prosecutor, and government attorneys for taking this case seriously and helping victims seek justice. “I believe that the security guard who violently attacked the protesters on January 4th will be severely punished by the law,” he said. “We have also filed civil suits against the Chinese Consulate, including the security company. Both criminal and civil prosecutions are ongoing.”
He further mentioned that there are many cases of transnational repression and infiltration by the Chinese Communist Party in the United States, and the U.S. government is actively enhancing its response and investigations. On the 26th of this month, he will travel to New York to testify in the case involving Tang Yuanjun’s alleged disclosure of information about democracy activists to the Chinese Communist Party.
Jie Li Jian believes that a successful outcome in the case of the violence committed by the Chinese consulate’s security guards will not only serve justice but also protect all anti-communist democratic activists from further violent attacks, serving as the greatest deterrent against similar crimes.