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Family and community demand release of officer names and unedited footage after Anaheim police shooting
Summary
Dozens of public commenters at the Anaheim City Council urged immediate transparency and independent review after the Dec. 6 shooting death of 19‑year‑old Albert Arzola, calling on the city to release officer identities, unedited body‑camera footage and autopsy results. Councilmembers and staff said independent review is underway and footage release is coming soon.
Dozens of family members and community advocates told the Anaheim City Council on Feb. 24 that the city must immediately release the names of the officers involved in the Dec. 6 shooting that killed 19‑year‑old Albert Arzola and make public the full, unedited body‑camera footage and the autopsy report. Jocelyn Pacheco of the Community Service Organization's Police Accountability Committee said the family's requests are not radical but are “basic expectations of transparency,” and accused the Anaheim Police Department of a pattern of withholding information and protecting officers rather than the public.
Grace Arzola, Albert’s aunt, described arriving at the scene and said the family was retraumatized by what she described as misleading public statements after the shooting. “We are not anti‑police, but we are pro‑accountability,” she said, urging the council to demand the raw evidence.
Other speakers, including Rosie Camacho and Sergio, said the delay in releasing footage and basic identifying information deepened community mistrust. Several described a perceived failure of officers to give commands, alleged that an officer’s audio was off, and said the family has been denied compassion and timely assistance.
Council members acknowledged the family's pain and said independent investigations are in progress. A councilmember noted the police chief had said footage would be released “soon” and that an independent review is ongoing. Staff and council stopped short of setting a new deadline during the meeting; several councilmembers asked staff to bring back options for expedited transparency and for strengthening independent oversight.
The council did not take a formal vote on policy changes at the meeting. Speakers said they will return to council chambers until the records are released. City staff did describe an ongoing independent investigation and said they are coordinating with external partners on next steps.
The family’s requests highlighted broader concerns raised during the public‑comment period about police accountability and whether current transparency practices meet state public‑records expectations. Several speakers cited California public‑records norms requiring disclosure of officer identities in shootings, and repeatedly urged the council to demand release of all records the family has requested.
