OCEANSIDE, Calif. — On Sunday, June 7 in Oceanside, hundreds of people took part in a Black Lives Matter march.
Around 2 p.m., the group noticed a young white male in military-style gear carrying a knife and acting odd while walking with the group.
Marchers reported their concerns about the young man to the leader of the protest, who goes by "Coach Deejay", after having lunch at Fat Joe's O'side.
Deejay defused the situation and talked the 16-year-old into handing over the knife from his pocket.
"This is perfect for us as a learning curve right now," said Deejay in an interview on Monday. "It'll be a learning curve for the people that are watching. It's going to be a learning curve for the gentleman himself and it's also going to be a learning curve to the police officer that was following us."
The incident was caught on camera about three minutes into the video. In the video, the teen said that he always carries a knife. His face is blurred because he is a minor. Deejay did not know at the time that the person with the knife was underage.
"I didn't want to approach him fast and in an aggressive matter," said Deejay.
"As a I started talking to him more, I could see him coming down and he was trying to explain himself. He was a little taken back himself. He was a little scared because the crowd was getting a little antsy," added Deejay.
A public information officer from the Oceanside Police Department confirmed no one was charged in this case and the Oceanside sergeant who walked the teen away held the knife for safekeeping until the next day. Then, the teen came back to pick up his knife.
"I didn't feel like he was a threat to me," said Deejay, who was initially concerned about an outsider trying to turn a peaceful protest into chaos.
Additionally, Deejay said as the group was marching to Carlsbad, they saw someone else with a shotgun staring at them.
"Man, this guy has no clue. There's no reaching him. I was going to talk, let him know who we was," said Deejay, who decided to let a police officer know about the man with the gun, then keep marching.
Deejay, who is originally from the South, said he is inspired by young people's desire to get involved and make a difference.
"They're not marching with me. I'm marching with them," said Deejay. "Have a peaceful protest and be heard."
Deejay stressed the importance of peaceful protests.
"You don't have to fight ignorance with ignorance," said Deejay.
