Long tense night in Anaheim

Police and protesters clashed in the streets of Anaheim again Tuesday night, more aftermath of the police killing of an unarmed man who was running from officers. The day's turmoil began when a crowd of about 200 tried to get past officers and into the Anaheim city hall for a city council meeting. Trash can fires were set and windows broken in the downtown Anaheim area as "pockets of unrest" continued into the night. Also Tuesday, the mother of Manuel Angel Diaz filed a lawsuit over the fatal shooting, and her lawyer said Diaz was shot in the back. The Anaheim police association said officers saw what looked like a weapon.

From the Orange County Register:

A half-dozen officers blocked City Hall's entrance, while the crowd gathered around and hurled obscenities. As the crowd pressed closer, the officers with helmets and batons came out the front door and pushed the protesters back, angering them.

After several minutes, some protesters called for everyone to hit the street.

For the next five-hours-plus, the tug-of-war between protesters and police persisted.

The crowd marched along Anaheim Boulevard to Lincoln Avenue, going into the street and blocking traffic.

Some pounded traffic signs and pulled trash cans into the street, while others pulled back the cans. One man with a bullhorn shouted how the protest was to be peaceful. A boy spray-painted a utility box. Some protesters grabbed sand from flower beds and a traffic cone and threw them at officers.

Anaheim police were assisted by officers from Garden Grove, Tustin, Brea, Fullerton and other agencies.

Here's what the LA Times reported at the top of its story:

Scattered crowds of protesters in Anaheim continued to roam the streets late Tuesday after violence erupted earlier around City Hall even as officials voted to ask federal authorities to investigate two deadly police shootings that have rocked the community.

The situation appeared to be calming down hours after police faced off with protesters as the City Council met before a packed audience.

Earlier, mobs smashed windows of stores and broke the window of a car belonging to a KNBC-TV Channel 4 reporter.

A mob set fire to RZS Reel Lumber Services, a lumber yard, at Claudina and Santa Ana streets. The fire was knocked down by crews on two Anaheim Fire Department engines.

Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait called Sunday for a state and federal probe of recent fatal shootings by police in the city.

Photo: NBC 4 web screen grab