Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Police Chief Charlie Beck are calling for calm and patience, as three investigations are underway into the police killing of a homeless man Sunday. Police say the man "forcibly grabbed" an officer's gun before he was shot to death.
Beck called the incident a tragedy that followed a "brutal, brutal fight."
The police confrontation with a man known as Afrika was filmed by at least two eyewitnesses. A dramatic video sparked criticism of the police, as it showed several officers attempting to hold him down before shots rang out..
From Los Angeles, NPR's Kirk Siegler reports:
"Two of the officers were wearing body cameras – part of a new pilot program in the LAPD's central city bureaus. However, so far, Chief Beck is refusing to make those videos public.
" 'I've reviewed the other videos,' Beck said. "It appears to me the officers acted compassionately up until the time when force was required.'
"Beck is promising a full investigation into whether the use of force was justified. Advocates for the homeless say the shooting highlights a worsening mental health crisis among Skid Row residents. Thousands of homeless people are concentrated in a few city blocks here, and this area has long been home to intense clashes with police."
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sO,BODY CAM footage will only be released if it shows the officer is in the right. If he is wrong, the camera malfunctions and no footage was there.
ReplyDeleteI get it.
Do you Morons?
All i get to say is...
ReplyDeleteI told you all so...
This footage should be streamed live. WHY WHY WHY WHY would they continue to allow the Police to police them selves?
ReplyDeleteI have seen the video, why would they shoot a man that is fighting flat off his back? 4-5 against one homeless man on his back. Do police think? Was he such a danger to everyone that they could not back off for 1 sec and think about how to take care of the situation ? No they all ran in fits, boots and clubs a-flying. Whether the shooting was legit or not is beside the point, these tactics are not effective and show zero respect for human life.