A judge issued a restraining order on March 1 against a Black Lives Matter activist accused of threatening Los Angeles Police Commission President Matt Johnson.
Johnson, who is only one of two African American police commissioners is also the managing partner at Century City law firm Ziffren Brittenham, LLP.
The Los Angeles Times reports that according to testimony, on the morning of Dec. 16, the activist, Trevor Ferguson, and about 20 other Black Lives Matter protesters went to Johnson’s law firm. The elevator requires a key card, but Ferguson managed to make his way to the 10th floor where he ran into Johnson’s law partner, P.J. Shapiro. Johnson was not there.
Ferguson spoke about the “evils of the LAPD” and accused Shapiro of being complicit in “the killing of innocent black children” because he is Johnson’s law partner.
Ferguson has denied any wrongdoing. He is part of a group that regularly attends commission meetings and often disrupt the proceedings by shouting or chanting – primarily criticizing police shootings of black suspects. Ferguson and others have called Johnson a “houseboy” amid demands that police Chief Charlie Beck resign and the entire department be disbanded.
In a court declaration, Johnson alleged that Ferguson made a “gratuitous reference to his children” at a November police commission meeting and stated at another meeting that Johnson should be scared of him, The Times reported.
Despite Ferguson’s contention that his actions were lawful protesting, and did not cross the line between insults and threats, Los Angeles Superior
Court Judge Carol Boas Goodson granted the City’s request for a restraining order.
The order requires Ferguson to stay away from Johnson and his family, but it does not prevent him from attending Police Commission meetings.
Johnson told The Times following the March 1 hearing, “There is a line, and for me, that line is when you threaten the safety of my family,” he said. “Like any father, I’m not going to apologize for taking steps to protect the safety of my family.”
