Central Area Officer Involved Shooting

Chief Speaks to media regarding OIS in Downtown LA

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Central Area officers and Safer City Initiative officers attempted to detain a robbery suspect in the 500 Block of San Pedro Street, and an Officer Involved Shooting occurred.

At approximately noon today, a private citizen placed a 9-1-1 emergency call to report a robbery near 545 South San Pedro Street in downtown Los Angeles. LAPD Communications Division subsequently dispatched Central Area officers to the location who located the suspect and attempted to contact him. After making contact, however, the suspect began fighting and physically resisting the officers attempts to take him into custody. The officers attempted to use a TASER to subdue him but the suspect continued to fight and resist the officers and fell to the ground. While on the ground, the suspect and officers struggled over one of the officer's handguns and then an officer-involved shooting occurred. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded and pronounced the suspect deceased at the scene. LAFD paramedics then transported the suspect's body to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Officer. Two of the responding officers involved in the incident suffered minor injuries and were treated and released.

As in all officer-involved shootings, LAPD's specialized Force Investigative Division (FID) personnel responded to preserve and collect evidence and interview witnesses to the incident. Portions of the incident captured on video from various sources will be reviewed and analyzed as part of the ongoing use of force investigation. FID's comprehensive investigation will be conducted in coordination with the LAPD's Office of Inspector General and presented to the Board of Police Commissioners to determine whether the use of deadly force was consistent with Department policies and procedures. Additionally, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division will conduct a comprehensive review of the facts of the officer-involved shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call Force Investigation Division at (213) 486-5230. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on “webtips” and follow the prompts.

Comments

[RJ77]

Hello everybody!

I have followed this post, but I wonder
why the official has acted vorsetzlich with 7 shots.

I think a single shot would have been sufficient in this case
I think about the education of your security forces
Complete training and education in this area.

Meanwhile, this video goes into all the world. Even here in
Germany is already known this. that officials
clarify with shots situations is okay,
but with 7 shots of this measure is exaggerated controversial.

The media are therefore back to your Department
fall and critical questions come back to the Justitz
to.

Here in Germany I can this situation difficult
estimate, but I would in your place, the officials
suspend the service. Because with 7 fatal shooting is the
Intent claims. I hope you understand what I mean.

Warm greetings from Germany,
RJ77

[Jack Dempsey]

Justified shooting. Don't let agitators bait you into persecuting one of your own. The officer did nothing wrong. Thank you LAPD for keeping our streets clean of individuals who think they can prey and rob and not face consequences when they attempt to use deadly force upon those who respond to protect the innocent.

[Matthew Williams]

Im sure he was going for their guns.... NOT Like Leon Rosbys dog was attacking eh!

[Rene Cross]

To Jack Dempsey
So you believe he got what he deserved?
DEATH.......?!
is that really justified?
I mean the 'one of your own' comment you also made?
hey we are the people, the public whom you are paid to protect and SERVE?
come one, you guys give your collective heads a wobble, you are being used by the State, the rich, they don't care how many enemies you get along the way.....
you, we, us are in this together against the bankers, the rich, the politicians........
the NWO......?
my old man was a copper on the streets of London UK
he would have been dismayed and upset by the unnecessary death of a HUMAN BEING
I'll pray for you Jack.........coz I know that you cannot be all bad based on one emotionally charged response...
time to put the kettle on and have a nice hot cuppa tea..........sit down and have a chat

[RJ77]

its ok but 7 shoots? How is yours from the police training?

[Rene Cross]

okay I have noticed that my original post has not been shown.....
anyone explain to me why the censorship?

[Doug]

i'm pretty sure that murder does not justify a robbery/theft. Those officers need to be punished!

[Elaine estrada]

It's so easy to tell our officers what we THINK they should have done. Unless you are willing to Don the badge and gun and put your life on the line...you have no voice. No one can predict how even you will react under stress in a life or death decision such as this. The body takes over and simply goes into fight or flight mode. Pretty brave of people to mouth off via their cell phones. Who is willing to be an officer? That's what I thought....stay safe LAPD.

[Dalthios]

In one of the video's posted you can clearly hear the officers say "drop the gun" three times, and by the time between the first shot and the rapid successions, it seems to me like the suspect managed to fire off a bullet before the officers decided he was too much of a risk

[Fakey McFakename]

Has the LAPD considered investigating whether police holsters are properly designed? It strikes me that if it were harder for people to get officers' guns, officers would be less likely to be in a situation where they have to think about lethal force in the first place.

[Daniel J.]

Above and beyond everything I have to question LAPD training. It is obvious that there was very little attempt to de-escalate, How did a homeless guy get the opportunity to even go after a police weapon?(Aren't they trained to prevent such a thing?) and were 5 shots necessary to stop the situation? (Deadly force at that.) Are police officers always trained to shoot to kill in these situations?

[Velvet Yvette Victorian]

I believe police officers are too quick to use their Guns. I'm sure they could have subdued the victim without gunfire. Especially that division the have some of the best trained officers in the City, The Bob squad and Swatt comes from that division. I'm disappointed with this division from what I seen on TV. Where was officer Joseph or Smith?

[mcomeaux]

Certainly glad all officers involved going home safely to their families. The gentleman in question certainly brought down his own fate. All he was required to do was simply comply

[ruth]

There are so many important points in this discussion. First off this individual is stationed in one of the lowest/poorest/homelessness areas of town. Thus suggesting that many suffers from psychological disorders and are off and on meds. Secondly, how many police officers for one man? I count 7. This is problematic. If this situation was life threatening and these officers ( all 7) are unable to contain one person, this could have been a disaster that could have resulted in multiple deaths. Thirdly, they tried to subdue the individual with a taser????? If that was the case, they clearly do not know how to use one nor do the other 6 officers...problematic. My last point, there is not enough education in mental disorders and if this team of officers are walking the beat in this area they need to be educated in dealing with mental health issues such as this one. I refrain from personal biases but I do know that resolving conflict with guns is not the answer especially when the officer is not alone, it is not night time, this is not a back alley, and the person was not armed.

[Tom Brown]

Police officers are the front line representatives of the United States Executive branch. These individuals literally put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe from elements of society that would otherwise contravene the rights of law abiding citizens. The individual in this video was violently attacking police officers during an arrest. It was not a matter of simply resisting arrest. The individual can clearly be seen punching and kicking. This was an aggressive violent attack against police officers responding to a call reporting a robbery. And shame on the bystander’s that were shouting such vitriol against the officers.

Thoughts from Massachusetts

[Manny Villalpando]

Unfortunately for this incident, the video that is circulating the Internet does not capture everything that transpired from the beginning. The video only shows half a dozen LAPD Officers trying to subdue a suspect, yells, the suspect getting tased, and then the suspect fatally getting shot. Incidents such as this one is one of the biggest reasons why the Officers need to be equipped with either a body camera and or a camera in order to provide transparent footage of any and all incidents that may be involved with higher degrees of Use of Force. I know that many of the Police Officers are hesitant to their own invasion of privacy but unfortunately we live in a time of technology, where video speaks a thousand words, and the Internet fuels with videos captured by the general public that only tell a one-sided story. Also, this is a technology that is NOT going away, on the contrary, it's only just started. This was and is a sad situation for the suspect but also for the Police Officer's state of mind; taking a life only leads to carrying your own demons.

[Tyler]

Don't resist, don't get shot. I am a big man, if a LEO ask me to do something I comply immediately. Better comply and sort it out.

[Al Bianchini]

Cops were 100% in the right. Man was attempting to or succeeded in grabbing gun. All bets off even though police tried taser as well! And for the one bullet comment, please only on movies and or perfect shot does one bullet end assault. Police say stop, you stop. Period. If that was done no further violence would have happened.

[stephanie]

Watch the video that went viral and then you may see what really happened during the situation. That's the good thing about having technology today someone always is watching or has a video and there were several eye witnesses on the scene. It looked like to me in the video that with that many officers you all could have held one man down. This I don't think was necessary. I do believe that you all are good people who put your life on the line everyday for everyone but sometimes there are situations or mistakes made. This I don't think was the best decision for this situation, especially since there were so many officers already surrounding and fighting with the man.

[VIKI]

I think it is time to require a higher standard for Law Enforcement Officers across the USA. A high-school diploma/GED requirement is setting the bar to low. Would you let a physician diagnose and treat you if he/she had only a high school diploma/GED? Would you fly a commercial airline if the pilot had only a high school diploma/GED? Why then is it acceptable to hire police officers, who will carry a deadly weapon and be called upon make life and death decisions, with only a high school diploma/GED? All USA law enforcement officers should be required to have a dual BA degree in Psychology/Law, and be required to pass a rigorous psychological evaluation by no less than three licensed Psychiatrists.

[Oyewalesgirl]

It's never justified to shoot an unarmed man. Of course he's just another black man right.? It always amazes me how me can take some people who are bombers or who are shooting at the police,alive, yet we can't seem to get these unarmed black men to the jail without lethal force.

[Ron W wonders]

Why? Looks like Nazi Germany.I hope all the shooters have a fair day in court to help the public understand, why.

[B. Harvey]

He had to shoot him seven times? Why would you need to kill someone already attacked by so many Officers? It scares me to watch this and it made me incredibly sad.

[Kenneth Carlton]

Thank you Officers for your courage and dedication...you were doing exactly what your supposed to do...remember, the suspect made all the descions for you....live to go home to your families.

Ken Carlton
Retired COP

[Billfritz Jendresen]

There were other ways of handling this 7 shots and they didn't say how many cops. I would have thought that a boot in the teeth would have been more appropriate than a killing of someone who needed more help than anything else. This is just another example of, not police brutality, but of "The Shock Troops of the Establishment" They've got in down if a person is homeless then they are going to steal so kill 'em all. In this country we'll kill a rich man just as fast as we'll kill a poor man. For stealing a loaf of bread.