LAPD officers who shot immigrant acted 'in immediate defense of life,' Beck says

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck on Tuesday offered a detailed account of a fatal officer-involved shooting near MacArthur Park that has sparked community protests and scattered unrest.

Emphasizing that the department's internal investigation into the shooting had only just begun, Beck said initial accounts from witnesses and the involved officers indicate the officer who fired acted "in immediate defense of life."

Three officers assigned to the Rampart Division's bicycle unit were responding to a different radio call Sunday afternoon when they were flagged down by a pedestrian, who told them a man was threatening passersby with a knife nearby, Beck told the Los Angeles Police Commission, which oversees the LAPD.

The officers rode to the corner of Sixth Street and Union Avenue, observing the man as he continued to threaten people with a knife, Beck said. They confronted him with their weapons drawn, ordering him repeatedly in English and Spanish to drop the knife, according to Beck. The man instead raised the knife over his head and advanced toward the officers, at which point one of the officers fired two rounds.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. In response to a reporter's question about whether the officers could have used nonlethal weapons to subdue the man, Beck said bicycle officers frequently do not carry with them the selection of beanbag rifles and other weapons found in a traditional patrol car. It was not immediately known whether the officers were equipped with Taser stun guns.

As with all officer-involved shootings and other serious uses of force, investigators from the department's Force Investigation Division will spend the next several months investigating and re-creating the shooting, and compiling their findings into a report.

A review board of command-level officers then advise Beck on whether the officer's tactics, decision to brandish a weapon and decision to use the weapon were appropriate. Beck, in turn, makes his recommendations to the commission, which has the final word on adjudicating incidents. The entire process frequently takes about a year to complete.

Beck said the investigation would be as transparent "as humanly possible." It is difficult, however, for the public to track such inquiries since the investigation and deliberations are confidential.

The commission's inspector general is expected to release a public summary of the commission's findings, but neglected to publish scores of the reports in recent years and is now working to dig out from the large backlog. If officers are determined to have acted outside of department policy, they can face discipline ranging from more training to dismissal.

In reference to the protests and isolated cases of bottle and rock throwing that officers have endured since the shooting, Beck said the protesters represented "a very small" part of the Rampart neighborhood. He called on "everyone in Rampart to act appropriately. This is not a time to tear the community apart." 

Four people were arrested during the demonstrations and three officers were injured.

-- Joel Rubin at LAPD headquarters

Photo: A crowd gathers at a makeshift memorial at West Sixth Street and South Union Avenue, where a 37-year-old Guatemalan day laborer was shot and killed by LAPD officers Sunday. Credit: Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times

Comments

[youareuniquelikeeveryonelse]

Good job, LAPD and a message to all illegal Guatemalans in Los Angeles. In this country, if you threaten a police officer with a knife, you will get shot. Comprende?

[Socorro Varela]

MMMMMMMMMMMMMM--- two bullits fired both to areas of the body that would cause a fatality. One bullit in each of the kniefer's legs is not within the realm of possibilities?

Are the bike officers not trained enough to wound the legs the knee caps?

Every shot must be fatal?

And of course a call for back-up was out of the question.

All this means little to most bloggers until it happens to a loved one, then watch out.

[jason,m]

As for the question asking why didnt they shoot him in leg like the movies? If the police did stuff like in the movies there would be car chases all over the city, police beating suspects up in the street without regard for who see's and people who did not care, which is not the case in the REAL WORLD,. I feel for the officer who shot him who has to go his entire career knowing he took a life no matter what the circumstances were behind it. and too the fool who asked are they sure he understioood the commands given to him I think A gun being pointed at you is an international language. DROP THE KNIFE FOOL!

[OKIDOG]

Its funny that these people are upset over the shooting of a man that was putting other life in danger. Especially when in Mexico they just found 72 dead bodies of illegal immigrants and yet none of these people are mad or upset over that in mexico. Another case of these people trying to destroy the U.S

[jake]

How much money is going to cost tax payers because ICE failed to do their jobs? Surely this illegal's family will sue, get millions, all because Border Patrol let this guy in and ICE failed to deport him.

Send in a few ICE teams to do sweeps now rather than police in riot gear- that will save a lot of money in overtime.

[terrance]

if the homeless guy were black the mexicans/guatemalans would be cheering

[AARON KING]

Los Angeles should change its name to "Los Illegals."

This city is just a toilet that needs to be flushed.

[Robert]

the Police Union put out a press release stating outside agitators are stirring things up. These illegal immigrants are bringing the illegal issue back up and things are backfiring because people in this city support their officers. THANK YOU LAPD. These illegals continue to break our laws and yesterday thankfully the media caught them on tape throwing rocks and bottles at officers which is considered a FELONY. I"m a Latino and I'm sick and tired of these illegals disrespecting our laws. They are not like the legal born Mexican Americans who have pride for our country and law enforcement.

[jopsjennings]

A white male who was solidly built and armed with a knife could not move even an inch toward an L.A. cop and expect to live to tell about it. The only appreciable difference in treatment because of race will be found during the aftermath, on boards like these where bloggers persist in confusing toughness with emotional numbness, and righteousness with self-righteousness.

[kristin]

For all those who have posted about the LAPD shooting in the legs or arms: that's just Hollywood. In real life, it's almost impossible to do that if the person is running at you. It's much easier to shoot the torso than extremities. If you do try to shoot the arms or legs, most of your bullets will miss. When that happens, there's a good chance the bullet(s) will hit an innocent bystander because the man was near other people.

It's no guarantee the person will stop. Even if you hit someone in the arm, they still have the other arm to use to attack you or someone else.

If the person was using a knife in a threatening manner, the cops did the right thing. And I don't buy the idea that he didn't understand Spanish or English. I could point a gun at almost anyone and yell something in Klingon, and any rational person would stop.

[Jumper Rental]

This is a tragedy you would think that it would be known if the officers had access to non lethal force .

[Steve]

You know how L.A. has always had cool little subcultures with names like little Ethiopia and Chinatown; The new name for L.A. is Big Mexico.

[Jack]

It's absurd to attribute prejudiced intentions to any of the officers. They had no way of knowing he was a day laborer, here illegally, or anything like that. At that moment, he was threatening their lives. Let the police officers do their damned jobs and stop crying racism. All citizens and non-citizens benefit from their protection.

[Jonly Angel]

I am all for protests. Just show your legal papers and proceed. In Mexico you know only citizens are allowed to protest? If you protest and are not a Mexican citizen you are thrown in jail. Where are the people screaming over that? I dont know about the protesting rules in guatamala but given their record on human rights and the US giving free greencards to guatamalans due to violence, I am sure any American protesting Guatamalian police in Guatamala would be jailed, beaten or killed. This loss of life is sad but you don't wave around a deadly weapon in front of a LEO and expect to live. God Bless...

[Breanna]

Defense was neccesarry, killing was not.

[Grim]

Failure drill: Two to the body, and one to the head... Fortunately for his family the head shot wasn't needed in this case.

[jack]

look for more police mayhem as Beck, the 'cops cop', takes full control.
'member how Beck was the 'official spokesman' for years before being shuffled into office? The guy that was on the news telling an outright ot half lie from the police script?

[LA_Native]

In regard to a couple comments below
1. you are not trained to shoot people in the leg, you have higher odds of hitting someone else near by than actually hitting a small target like that. Center mass is what you are trained to aim for and remember, if you are the point where you are face with shooting someone, you aren't shooting them to wound them!

2. Regarding the comment about suspecting the type of people becoming cops because they want to feel the sensation of killing. Before you even come close to the Academy you are put through a variety of psych tests, background checks etc. They do an amazingly great job at weeding out potential whack jobs.

3. a knife is considered a deadly weapon, there was a video shot sometime ago with a news reporter which demonstrated just how quickly a person with a gun can charge you before you have time to draw your gun or react.

I think it is fair to say that these officers did not start their day thinking "he, maybe I'll get to kill someone today". As with every police department, world wide. there will be bad eggs but from the sounds of it, this was a justified shooting and I'd suggest that we don't blame every officer who has to make that split second decision, just because of a couple bad cops in the past. Remember, at the end of the day they took a job with long hours and high risk, they give up their holidays and miss special family occasions so that they can protect us. Anyone who spends their life talking crap about all cops should perhaps apply and spend some time in their shoes.
And for the record, I am not a cop in any way shape or form! Just a guy who has seen the sacrafices they make and thinks we need to cut them some slack while dealing with the problem cops as they come to our attention.

[Warren]

Arrest and Deport all illegal aliens who are protesting. This is what the LAPD gets for its support of the illegals.

[Anu]

look at the picture. That's the future of America. Poor, poor and more poor, more illegals.

[Mtnup1]

This is a complete outrage! Why didn't the officers just shoot the knife out of his hand like Marshall Matt Dillon would have in "Gunsmoke??" Or better yet, the could have disarmed him using hand to hand fighting techniques like Matt Damon did in the "Bourne Identity!" I know this is possible because I've seen it on TV and in the movies MANY times! I am an expert in police tactics since I've seen all episodes of cops at least three times!

[2cents]

again the idiotic nonsense about how you should try to shoot the knife out his hands, or just wing him in the arm, or just go away and come back later

[RunsWithScissors]

So the community is up in arms about the death of an assailant at the hands of the policia. Yet, they silently accept the growing rate of crimes commited by Hispanics. Thirty years ago, 30% of all crimes within the city of Los Angeles were committed by Hispanics. Fast forward to 2009, Hispanics now account for over more than half of all criminal acts in Los Angeles and at a rate exceeding the growth rate of the Hispanic population in Los Angeles.

The problem lies with the people, not the cops. Hispanics have no ability to govern themselves and to fix their own problems. Their solution is to either blame someone else, ignore the problem completely, or take flight.

It is pretty unanimous in the comment section that the Westlake district is a cesspool for illegal immigrants. But it's because the immigrants who live there have allowed it to become such. They have no understanding on how to raise their quality of life. There is no solidarity on issues that are internal to their own ethnic community. Where is the outrage when it comes to Latino crimes? Because when it comes to their own bad behavior, Latinos are superb at setting the bar as low as it can go.

Don't get me wrong, I have close friends who are Hispanic and I love them dearly. They agree with me, the Hispanic immigrant population in mid-town Los Angeles is dragging this city down. No amount of gentrification and urban renewal will bring this city back unless there is a complete reversal of social and economic attitudes within L.A. proper.

[Al]

As a deputy sheriff I had to shoot and kill a man, who came at me and my 12 year old son, with a knife and claw hammer, after his big rig sideswiped my vehicle. I told him and showed him my badge and after he chase me and my son around a vehicle I turned to face him. I fired two shots at seven feet. So these people don't realise that police officer are not too assume a suspect will listen and that they have the right to go home to their familys at night, and not to the morgue.

[imacobru]

Well here is a suggestion for anyone who is told by a Law Enforcement Officer who is pointing a gun or other weapon at you, (lethal or otherwise), to: Stop!, Drop the (insert weapon or explosive device name(s) here), Get on the ground face down with your arms extended out and legs crossed, and DON'T MOVE! or YOU WILL GET SHOT!(For those who are of critical thinking here. They probably stated it in Spanish as well...just assuming due to the local Residents of the community.)

It should not take a Rocket Scientist for this one - DO WHAT THEY SAY....and you won't get shot and die! Than you can hire Gloria Allred and sue the City, Police, State, Country, the company that distilled your booze for, (insert legal term here.)...which his Family will do anyways now.