Men using Periscope broadcast their plan to hurt someone, get arrested
Sacramento police say Damon Batson and Carlos Gonzalez used Periscope to film their own gotcha video.
The target of their work of cinema verite? Themselves.
Batson, 28, and Gonzalez, 25, were arrested after the video – which circulated on the Internet – showed the men allegedly discussing their plan to hurt someone.
The men broadcast their hunt using live-streaming app Periscope, according to CBS13, and it took nearly a day before it was reported to police. In the video, some of which was shared by the news station, Gonzalez narrates his and Batson’s drive to Midtown to find a man who may have been with one of their girlfriends.
In the video, the men show off a gun and knock on an apartment that appears to be empty. Web viewers liked the broadcast and posted live comments, at one point asking Gonzalez to prove the gun was real, according to CBS13.
The video shows Gonzalez “recklessly” discharging the gun while he was a passenger of a moving vehicle, police said. Police said no one was injured in the shooting.
Once Sacramento police reviewed the video, the investigation led to a warrant being issued to search an apartment unit. Gonzalez was found in the apartment and Batson was detained while driving a vehicle in the area on Friday.
Officers searched the car Batson was driving when he was arrested, finding the gun they believe was fired in the video, officials said.
At one point during the broadcast, Gonzalez said that “if he didn’t think he’d get in trouble with the law” he’d “periscope everything.”
Gonzalez was booked on suspicion of gross negligent discharge of a firearm and possession of a loaded gun in public.
Batson was booked on suspicion of producing or cultivating marijuana or hashish, possession of marijuana or hashish for sale, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded gun, receiving stolen property and weapons violations.
Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia
brittny.mejia@latimes.com
ALSO:
244 immigrants arrested in Southern California sweep
LAPD is on patrol with body cameras starting today
Judge’s questions hint at skepticism on California’s death penalty ban
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
