A known heckler of the Antioch City Council was placed under a citizens arrest by the Antioch Police Department for allegedly pointing a laser pointer at a victim within the city hall council chambers.
A victim is accusing John Trizuto, on November 28, of harassing staff and pointing a laser into the eyes of a victim. Trizuto then left the city council meeting, and was not arrested until January 30, 2024.
According to a public records request, which was placed February 1, Antioch Police did not release the information until February 14.
23-009054:
On 11/28/23 at 17:47 hours, officers responded to City Hall Council Chambers on reports of a subject harassing staff and pointing a laser pointer into the eyes of the Victim. Upon arrival, the suspect was gone.
On 1/30/24 at 18:11 officers were notified that the same subject was in front of 213 F St, where a special council meeting was to be held. Upon arrival, John Trizuto was taken into custody on a Citizen’s Arrest for 417.25(A) due to the incident that occurred on 11/28/23. Trizuto was transported to the county jail where he was cited and released on a Promise To Appear.
The report did not provide who the victim was, however, sources say Trizuto allegedly pointed the laser pointer in the direction of City Manager Kwame Reed and City Attorney Thomas Smith. Meanwhile, Antioch Records Supervisor Amanda Nelson confirmed acting police chief Joe Vigil was the arresting officer.
Trizuto said Wednesday morning he maintains his innocence and looks forward to disproving the accusations by the City of Antioch and looks forward to presenting his evidence. He did not say anything more on the incident.
It’s unclear if this incident was used in retaliation to Trizuto speaking out against the city council or communicating with county officials regarding Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe’s actions and possible breaking the terms of his probation. Trizuto, who is not pleased with the direction the City of Antioch is headed, provided a series of correspondence where he expressed concerns since July 2020 through January 2024 over the following:
- Councils use of electronic devices during meetings/voting
- Alleged city attorney accused him of being a racist
- expressed concerns over the Antioch budget/finances.
- Questioned $314k in payments to outside attorney’s–public records request denied citing client privilege.
- Reached out to District Attorney’s Office alleging Brown Act Violations several times
- Alleges the Mayor did not allow him to speak during public comments on Jan 13, 2023.
- Issued a complaint of Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe blocking constituents on social media.
- Alleges Hernandez-Thorpe violated his probation by challenging an Antioch Citizen to a fight while on the dais.
In reviewing the meeting of November 28 city council meeting, there is no video evidence on the city website that shows Trizuto pointing the laser pointer in the direction of staff or anyone in the audience.
However, Trizuto appeared agitated during the meeting and demanded 9-minutes to speak before closed session began. He was warned by Hernandez-Thorpe he could be removed from the meeting if he continued with his behavior. The council directed staff to continue the meeting and they spoke over Trizuto who was at the podium and continued to speak–the council then adjured into closed session.
Trizuto frequently offers public comments at Antioch City Council meetings while also responds to social media postings by Antioch City Councilmembers.
7 comments
Can thorpe be arrested for his disruptions of the council meetings? Oh, I forgot he was voted in to do that.
As a concerned citizen, I find myself largely in agreement with John’s viewpoints, yet I cannot always endorse his approach. Reflecting on the events of the 28th meeting, However, what I witnessed during the meeting on the 28th was tame from what I’ve seen from him before. As a fellow Antiochian who harbors significant reservations about the Mayor (yes, there was a time I extended kindness towards him, but please refrain from commenting on that), I am deeply troubled by the fact that it took two months to effect a citizen’s arrest.
Surely, standard arrest protocols could have been followed by apprehending him at his residence rather than resorting to such a prolonged process. My inquiries into this matter, directed to both Lori O and Mike Barbanica, have left me unsatisfied, as neither provided a satisfactory explanation. Furthermore, I harbor doubts regarding the nature of the alleged weapon used. Having frequently attended Council meetings, I can attest to the presence of a remote control on the speaker stand, which was conspicuously absent during yesterday’s session. John insists it was merely a prop he used humorously to ‘mute’ the council, with no intention of causing harm with a laser. However, I remain uncertain if this remote indeed possesses a laser function, though Lori suggested John may have been brought from his home.
Adding to the confusion, Mike Barbanica’s account of events failed to align with the timeline I had pieced together. This discrepancy is particularly disconcerting given my perception of Mike as a person of integrity. However, it appears that both Lori and Mike’s biases wether justified or not may be clouding their ability to ascertain the truth. Why is the truth important in this situation? Because, as an Antioch citizen, the peculiar circumstances surrounding this arrest instill a sense of fear. It suggests that anyone who dares to express dissent towards the current leadership of Antioch could face similar repercussions. This realization is deeply unsettling and underscores the urgent need for transparency and accountability in our community.
PC 417.25 “Every person who, except in self-defense, aims or points a laser scope, as defined in subdivision (b), or a laser pointer, as defined in subdivision (c), at another person in a threatening manner with the specific intent to cause a reasonable person fear of bodily harm is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for up to 30 days. For purposes of this section, the laser scope need not be attached to a firearm.”
As long as no threats were made causing reasonable fear, there is no crime because the council should reasonably expect that this citizen was exercising his first amendment rights.
Shame on the council and the especially the Chief for letting this happen.
Guys with laser pointers get arrested while councilwomen who fire guns in their yards get nothin’. Welcome to Antioch.
The fact that there are clowns on the city council doesn’t mean that one should ape their behavior. If you act like a clown, expect to be regarded thusly.
There isn’t a cop or some type of security at the meetings? That’s a big surprise.
Antioch is entertainment on a wholenother level
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