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David Lacey is the longtime husband of Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey. Jackie, a two-term incumbent, is up for re-election in a hotly contested election. On Monday morning, David stepped outside of his home and pulled a gun on protesters standing outside of his home, telling them to get off his porch.
“I will shoot you,” he was videotaped saying. “Get off my porch.” You can see a video below.
Jackie has since apologized for her husband’s actions, saying that he was “profoundly sorry” for what he had done, and insisting that he only acted that way because he was afraid.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. WATCH: Lacey Tells Protestors to ‘Get Off’ His Porch
In the video above, as credited to the Black Lives Matter LA Chapter, David can be seen responding to protestors with a gun. Specifically, he stepped outside of his house pointing a gun, and said, “I will shoot you. Get off my porch.”
Per The Los Angeles Times, there were about 30 protestors outside of the Lacey home, and they were protesting Lacey’s refusal to meet with black activists and organizers in South L.A. At first, the protestors were sitting in chairs on the sidewalk near the Lacey property. But David only came out of the house when three of the protest leaders went to the front door.
One organizer, Melina Abdullah, told the publication, “I thought I was being paranoid, and I said, ‘That didn’t sound good.’ And then her husband opened the door and pointed a gun and said, ‘Get off my porch.’”
2. Lacey Is a Retired Investigative Auditor for the D.A.’s Bureau of Investigation
Lacey worked for the D.A.’s Bureau of Investigation for years, but he has since retired. During his time there, he worked as an investigative auditor.
As for Jackie, she’s been working as the D.A. of Los Angeles County since 2012. She and David both attended Dorsey High School in Los Angeles. From there, Jackie attended the University of California, Irvine, as an undergraduate, then went to the University of Southern California for law school.
Jackie and David now live in the Granada Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, per the Los Angeles Sentinel.
3. Lacey & Jackie Are High School Sweethearts; They Met at Church
Now we’re waiting for BLM activists, including Melina Abdullah, the Cal State LA professor who took the video of David Lacey pointing a gun at her, to speak in front of Hall of Justice downtown.
The Laceys have been together for several decades, and are actually high school sweethearts. According to Los Angeles Magazine, they met while Jackie was a teenager singing in the Trinity Baptist Church choir.
Jackie and David’s relationship has stayed relatively private throughout Jackie’s public rise. However, she did acknowledge her husband and children during her swearing-in ceremony.
“I want to thank my husband, David, and my kids, Kareem and April, for all they’ve done to help me realize this dream,” she said. “Also my nephew Laydell.”
4. Lacey & Jackie Have Two Children Together; Both Are Now Adults
The Laceys have had two children together, both of whom are now adults. Their children’s names are Kareem and April. They are each other’s only marriages.
Kareem Lacey’s MySpace offers several photos of the family throughout the years. The photo above was taken at a graduation for Kareem. There are also photos of the family attending Barack Obama’s 2009 Inauguration.
5. Jackie Lacey Has Apologized for Her Husband’s Actions, and Said He Is ‘Profoundly Sorry’ as Well
In the wake of the frenzy following her husband’s decision to step outside with a gun and point it at protestors, Jackie has since spoken out. At a news conference on Monday morning, Jackie said, “Our home is our sanctuary. I do not believe it is fair or right for protesters to show up at the homes of people who dedicate their lives to public service.”
She continued to say that her husband’s response was motivated by fear, and that he was “profoundly sorry” for what he’d done.
She said, “It was just him and I in that house and we really didn’t know what was about to happen. I too am sorry if anybody was harmed. It’s never my intent to harm any protester. I just want to live in peace and do my job.”