A. A person is guilty of obstructing a public employee if, with knowledge that the person obstructed is a public employee, he or she:
1. Intentionally and physically interferes with a public employee; or
2. Intentionally hinders or delays a public employee by disobeying an order to stop given by such employee; or
3. Intentionally refuses to cease an activity or behavior that creates a risk of injury to any person when ordered to do so by a public employee; or
4. Intentionally refuses to leave the scene of a fire department emergency response while it is in progress after being requested to leave by a member of the fire department when the person's conduct or presence hinders, delays, or compromises legitimate fire department actions or rescue efforts; threatens the safety of fire department personnel or members of the public; or attempts to incite others to violence by intentionally advocating or directing imminent violence toward a specific person or group, when it is likely that such advocacy or direction will imminently result in actual violence toward that person or group.
B. No person shall be convicted of violating this section if the public employee was not acting lawfully in a governmental fashion.
C. No person shall be convicted of violating this section if the person was obstructing their own medical treatment, when such treatment was being provided by fire department personnel.
D. For purposes of this section a "public employee" means those individuals responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of the Long Beach Municipal Code, including provisions related to fire, building, utilities, zoning, and life and safety codes; those individuals responsible for the enforcement of the federal or state criminal laws; or a firefighter or other employee of a fire department who was performing his or her official duties at the time of the obstruction.
E. Obstructing a public employee is a gross misdemeanor. (Ord. 1020, 6-20-2023)