Protesters in Los Angeles camp to demand the resignation of council members 2:23
(CNN) --
Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León faces new scrutiny after video surfaced online Friday night of him getting into a physical altercation with a community activist. during a year-end season event.
A 35-second video of the incident posted on Twitter by two local community organizations and also obtained by CNN appeared to show De Leon shoving a man identified in the caption as local organizer Jason Reedy against a table.
That came after a crowd surrounded de León, followed him through an exit and called for his resignation over audio leaked earlier this year in which he and other council members made racist comments about de León's black son. a council member.
Both De León and Reedy raised their hands in the video, which shows Reedy cornering the council member and getting close to his face before De León appears to push Reedy against a table and then down a hallway, where they exit the hall. video frame.
It is unknown what happened after that.
De Leon said in a statement Saturday that he acted in self-defense after Reedy headbutted him.
“Once we were able to open a door and try to get out, Reedy delivered a pelvic thrust, followed by a headbutt to my forehead,” de León said.
"My response, in defense of myself, was to push him away from me."
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Reedy's attorney, Shakeer Rahman, told CNN Saturday that his client provided the video to the Los Angeles Police Department and reported an assault after the altercation.
“Video footage clearly shows him and his supporters starting this assault while Mr. Reedy stands with his hands up.
Kevin de León has not only lost all political legitimacy, but his claims that he was the one attacked here simply underscores how he has lost touch with reality,” Rahman said in a statement.
When asked to respond to de León's statement, Rahman repeated that Reedy "did not initiate physical contact with anyone."
CNN has reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department and De Leon's office for comment on Friday's altercation.
Calls for de León's resignation have continued since October, when audio of a year-long conversation between de Léon and other council members was posted anonymously on Reddit and obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Much of the conversation centered on the maps proposed by the city's redistricting commission and councilmen's frustration with them, but it also included racist comments about a councilman's black son and Oaxacans.
CNN was unable to verify the audio recording.
The audio caused the resignation of the president of the council, Nury Martínez, after a general rejection, including from President Joe Biden.
De León has repeatedly refused to step down, but he did provide a statement to CNN in October in which he said: "On that day, I fell short of the expectations we set for our leaders, and I will hold myself to a higher standard."
“There were comments made in the context of this meeting that are totally inappropriate;
and I regret appearing to condone and even contribute to certain insensitive comments made about a colleague and his family in private," de León added.
CNN's Sonnet Swire contributed to this report.
Los Angeles City Council