Protesters were outside home of Jackie Lacey, who has long faced scrutiny for refusing to prosecute officers who kill civilians

The husband of Los Angeles’s top prosecutor pulled a gun on Black Lives Matter activists outside his home and said, “I will shoot you,” while directly pointing his firearm at them, video shows.

David Lacey, the husband of the LA county district attorney, Jackie Lacey, opened his door Monday morning and threatened demonstrators with his gun, saying: “Get off of my porch. I will shoot you … I don’t care who you are … We’re calling the police right now.”

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The footage captured the husband going back inside, at which point Melina Abdullah, a Black Lives Matter LA organizer who had knocked at the door, said: “He pulled a gun and pointed it at my chest.” He appeared to have his finger on the trigger.

An LA police spokesperson said police responded to a call for a disturbance and became aware of a “possible assault with a deadly weapon”, which is now under investigation.

“We were shocked,” Abdullah told the Guardian after the incident, which happened just after 5.30am local time. “We were extremely polite. We are clearly peaceful folks. She knows who we are. We’ve never engaged in any violence against her.”

Jackie Lacey is facing a tough re-election fight this week and has long faced scrutiny for her refusal to prosecute police officers who kill civilians, her aggressive pursuit of the death penalty and other tough-on-crime strategies.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jackie Lacey, the Los Angeles county district attorney. Photograph: Damian Dovarganes/AP

In a press conference hours after the incident, the district attorney criticized the protesters for demonstrating at her home, saying they were trying “to embarrass me and intimidate me”, but added that her husband now wanted to apologize: “His response was in fear … He’s profoundly sorry … He meant no one any harm.”

When a reporter asked Lacey whether her husband had committed a crime, noting that her office often frequently prosecutes people for threats and related firearm offenses, the DA said another agency was reviewing the incident and didn’t comment further.

Lacey had promised last fall to meet with Black Lives Matter organizers who have long called for her to address police violence, but the meeting never happened. Abdullah said the demonstrators showed up to her Granada Hills home Monday morning to hold the community meeting, and the group of about 30 demonstrators brought chairs with them.

“She’s an elected official. She owes it to her constituency to hear us,” said Abdullah, who has closely tracked killings by police and advocated for victims’ loved ones and is also a professor of Pan-African studies at California State University, Los Angeles. “She’s not willing to come to South LA or meet with families of those killed by police.”

In the Tuesday election, Lacey is facing challenges from Rachel Rossi, a former public defender, and George Gascón, the former San Francisco DA. Both have pitched themselves as progressive alternatives to Lacey.

Justin Andrew Marks, a 31-year-old Black Lives Matter LA member who was also at Lacey’s door Monday morning, said he was still processing the shock of having her husband directly threaten them with a firearm: “I just walked away stunned.”

He said it was hard not to think about the people who have been killed by LA law enforcement, who then faced no accountability from Lacey’s office: “They all had guns pointed at them by police and didn’t live to talk about it.”

LA has consistently ranked as one of the deadliest regions in America for police violence, with one analysis finding that police shoot, on average, one person every five days. Since 2013, when Lacey became DA, more than 500 people have been killed by on-duty officers in the county or died in custody. But Lacey has consistently refused to file charges against police, even in cases when police leaders have called for prosecution.

“We haven’t gotten any sufficient answers from her. We really just wanted to engage in dialogue. That’s why we were there,” said Marks, noting that Lacey has repeatedly skipped candidate forums this election, even though as prosecutor she is supposed to be a voice “for the people”: “She’s avoiding the public.” The group did a prayer outside her home before knocking on the door, he said.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Los Angeles has consistently ranked as one of the deadliest regions in America for police violence. Photograph: Phil Mccarten/Reuters

Quintus Moore, the father of Grechario Mack, who was killed by Los Angeles police, said it was terrifying to see Lacey’s husband threaten activists, and that protesters just wanted the district attorney to listen to families and hold officers accountable. “Our kids are unsafe. Police can do whatever they want to our children … She won’t give them a slap on the wrist for murder.”

The LA police commission determined the killing of Mack violated policy, but Lacey did not bring charges. The incident Monday was a further sign that she needed to be replaced, Moore said: “Her reign of terror needs to end.”

Abdullah said it was concerning that Lacey’s husband would resort to a violent threat, noting that the home had security cameras and the couple could see they were peaceful: “This is what comes out of her own home.” She said she thought of her three children as he pointed the firearm at her: “Is this really the way I’m going to go out?”

She said the activists were shaken but staying focused on speaking out: “We’re having to kind of shove down the trauma, because we have work to do today and tomorrow.”

At her press conference, Lacey talked about threats she has faced as district attorney but did not provide details.

“We expect people will exercise their first amendment right. But our home is our sanctuary,” she said. “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.”