Unhoused resident alleges Huntington Park police used unlawful eviction tactics during public comment; council tables related item

During public comment on Aug. 18, an unhoused Huntington Park resident alleged that city police officers used unlawful eviction, intimidation and physical force during an encounter at a city-area property on July 12.

The commenter, who identified himself as unhoused, said officers responded to an incident at a retail facility, pushed him from a sales floor and prevented him from retrieving personal property. He alleged officers provided unsolicited legal advice and said they “forced me out of the property” and “deprive[d] me of my civil rights.” He also said officers refused to provide identifying information when requested.

City staff took the public comment during the general public‑comment portion of the meeting. Later in the agenda the council addressed item 3 — a resolution about implementing evidence‑based systems to assist unhoused individuals. City staff recommended tabling item 3 for further analysis; the council voted 5–0 to table that resolution. At the time of tabling council members asked staff to seek input from public-safety representatives and include position letters from relevant unions and the police chief when the item returns.

The council did not take any immediate enforcement action at the meeting in response to the public comment. The allegation was raised during the public-comment period; the transcript does not include an on-the-record response from the Police Department during the meeting.

Transcript attribution: the allegation came during public comment by an identified commenter who described himself as unhoused. The council later tabled the policy item tied to assistance for unhoused individuals.