U.S. Marines appeared on video temporarily detaining at least one person amid protests in Los Angeles, California, on Friday, according to reporting from multiple outlets.
The U.S. military confirmed the images to Reuters, which was first to report the incident. A spokesperson for U.S. Northern Command told the outlet active duty military personnel "may temporarily detain an individual in specific circumstances."
According to reporting from The Associated Press, the man was detained after he crossed onto federal property and did not hear their commands to stop.
The Associated Press identified the man as Army veteran Marcos Leao, who said he had his headphones in while he approached the building, where he had an appointment with Veterans Affairs.
Leao told the outlet he complied with commands issued by the Marines and said they were just doing their jobs. He was released without charges after Los Angeles police arrived, and after having been held in zipties for more than two hours.
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The detainment appears to run counter to assurances from officials overseeing National Guard and U.S. military forces in California.
Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, commander of the combined Marines-National Guard force deployed in the Los Angeles area, has said military troops would not detain anyone, but instead protect law enforcement personnel as they perform their duties.
“I would like to emphasize that the soldiers will not participate in law enforcement activities,” Sherman said. “Rather, they’ll be focused on protecting federal law enforcement personnel.”
Marines appeared outside the federal building in Los Angeles on Friday, where the California National Guard had already been stationed earlier in the week. The Marines carried rifles, radios, and other combat and uniform equipment.
Marines have spent the last several days training to address civil disturbances, according to Maj. Gen. Sherman. They are meant to take over for some National Guard personnel, so those troops can be reassigned to protect federal law enforcement officials as they carry out immigration raids.
