Why did actor Danny Trejo get in a fight during Fourth of July celebrations?

Danny Trejo became involved in a fight during a Fourth of July parade in California on Thursday, after the veteran Hollywood actor was targeted by a water balloon thrown by an Independence Day reveller.

Trejo, who is best known for his roles in movies such as Machete, Heat and Desperado, was appearing at a parade in Sunland-Tujunga, a neighbourhood in Los Angeles.

What happened in Trejo’s Fourth of July scuffle?

Riding in an open-top vintage car, the 80-year-old was incensed when a balloon was aimed at his vehicle. Footage shared on social media showed the actor getting out of his car and confronting a man he evidently believed to be responsible, or among those responsible, for the projectile.

In the video, Trejo can be seen throwing a punch at the man’s face, before being knocked to the ground.

The individual Trejo confronted then steps out from underneath a small marquee and strikes another man with a punch to the head, sending him tumbling to the ground. A melée ensues, before being broken up by a crowd of bystanders.

What did Trejo say about water ballon incident

According to the celebrity news outlet TMZ, which cited unnamed sources, the group Trejo squared up to was not behind the throwing of the water balloon.

An eyewitness, Stanley Herrarte, told ABC7 Los Angeles that the tension sparked by the balloon incident lasted for some 10 minutes, with police arriving on the scene. Per TMZ, no arrests were made.

“This parade is like a thing where you throw water balloons back and forth at each other,” Herrate also explained to ABC7. “The reason why Danny was so infuriated was because usually people don’t throw water balloons at fancy cars when they come by.”

Speaking to TMZ, Trejo said it had been “childish” to throw a water balloon at his vehicle, and branded those behind the incident as “cowards”.