Kevin de León will not face charges over holiday party altercation with activist

No charges in scuffle involving Kevin de León

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office has declined to file any charges stemming from an altercation between an activist and City Councilman Kevin de León that occurred in December at the height of calls for the councilman to resign his position.

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office will not file charges against City Councilmember Kevin de León or the activist involved in an altercation back in December 2022.

The two engaged in a physical argument at a holiday event during the height of calls for the councilmember to resign from his position.

The LA city attorney's decision prompted criticism from others involved in the fight at the Lincoln Heights community event. Both de León and activist Jason Reedy accused the other of being the aggressor.

De León said he was "disappointed" that charges would not be filed against Reedy.

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"He assaulted a woman on my staff, a community member and me at a children's Christmas toy giveaway," said De León. "A week prior, he stalked multiple women on my staff at my field office late at night. This man has a clear pattern of calculated violent behavior."

He said the city attorney "chose to prioritize politics over public safety once again," and in doing so, created "a very dangerous precedent, giving a green light to stalk and assault city employees."

But Reedy told the Los Angeles Times he was disappointed that de León was not charged.

"I'm relieved I'm not being charged as I was the one that was assaulted and attacked," said Reedy. "I am absolutely disappointed to see that the city attorney did not feel the need to charge Kevin de León, but it is what it is at this point."

At the time of the altercation, de León was facing intense pressure from community members to resign over the 2021 racist conversation between himself and other community leaders that was caught on tape and subsequently released to the public. The tape led to the resignation of then-Council President Nury Martinez.

Reedy and a group of activists attended the holiday event to confront the councilmember and continue their calls for him to step down.

Video from the event shows de León backed against a wall inside a room of the event, with Reedy standing directly in front of him with his arms held straight in the air. Reedy puts his head against de León's and appears to lightly bump heads with him twice before the councilman steps forward and grabs Reedy, forcing him onto a table.

Both men filed battery reports with the Los Angeles Police Department.

The city attorney's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why prosecutors declined to pursue any charges.