Relatives of knife-wielding man killed by police say he was not violent

Relatives of Manuel Jamines, the knife-wielding man shot dead by police near MacArthur Park on Sunday, say the day laborer was hard-working but struggled with alcohol on the weekends.

“He liked to drink, but was never violent,” said Juan Jamines, a cousin. “I don’t know why police had to kill him.”

Sitting at the Guatemalan Consulate’s office to discuss the transfer of Manuel Jamines’ body to Nahuala, Solola, his hometown in Guatemala, Juan and two other cousins said they want answers from the police.

They also asked the community around MacArthur Park to remain peaceful.

“We don’t want problems,” Juan Jamines said. “We just want justice.”

Earlier today, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck offered a detailed account of the shooting. He emphasized that the department's internal investigation into the shooting had only just begun and said initial accounts from witnesses and the officers involved indicate that the officer who fired acted “in immediate defense of life.”

Police said Jamines refused commands to drop his weapon when he was shot. They said officers recovered a knife from the scene. 

-- Esmeralda Bermudez

Comments

[Reaper]

Alcoholism is no excuse for his threatening behavior. I'm sure the citizens who were being threatened with the knife are satisfied with the police service given to them.

[Jay D., Los Angeles]

There were multiple officers on the scene facing a supposedly knife-wielding man - why is this man subject to death? What, all that training and you can't hit a thigh? Where did the bullet land Beck?

[joe borfo]

This is ridiculous. Racist and trigger happy cops. Period.

[LAinWLA]

RE: the relative's comment - "I don't know why police had to kill him." - IT'S BECAUSE HE WAS THREATENING POLICE WITH A KNIFE, stupid! This is what happens when you won't cooperate AND you lunge towards officers with a weapon. Don't insult our intelligence with this whole "Why did they shoot him?" NONSENSE. Everyone knows what can happen when you don't follow police orders.

[Jerry Malone]

The cops probably planted the knife.

[Joseph Blowe]

“We don’t want problems,” Juan Jamines said. “We just want justice.”

Uh...I believe that's why the police were flagged down (there WAS a problem: a knife wielding man was threatening citizens), and justice WAS served (when police officers show up and tell you to drop your deadly weapon, you either comply or risk deadly force being used against you). End of story.

[jay]

What are you suppose to do when someone is threatening humans with a knife, he got what he deserved.!!!

[Realist]

crooked pigs

[Doc Holliday]

Why did the police have to expend 12 needless hours for this nonsense. Call in ICE (you can find them hiding under their desks) and the Border Patrol en masse and watch the cockroaches scatter. They want justice? So do we, the law-abiding, tax paying, productive citizens. Justice will be when the last illegal crosses the border heading south the the cesspools south of the border. Seal off that area and declare it an environmental hazard.

[Dre]

Why couldn't they just shoot him with a taser gun?

[Me]

Could the L.A. Times please let us know this mans legal status? I think ICE should have been at the protest last night.

I am sick and tired of people always blaming the police. You have seconds to decide if a person is a threat with a knife. How the heck would the police know 'he likes to drink, but was never violent'. What a crock... how much has this man already sucked out of the welfare system of the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County?

[SteveO]

These "relatives" should understand that ... if you are drunk and start doing stupid things like wielding a knife & then don't disarm yourself when the police instruct you NUMEROUS times to drop the weapon ... then you just might get shot. Sorry to hear about the loss of life, but let that be a lesson to those that are still alive, that if you are prone to do stupid things while drunk, then DON'T GET DRUNK! Or do get drunk, but realize that in your drunken state, you might get hurt/killed & you have only yourself to blame.

[John DePortola]

Here we go again. We've heard it all.......He was such a good guy. Hard working all week and drunk on the weekends. Just what America needs, non productive low lifes who contribute nothing to our country. Why the heck was he drunk and holding a knife at the officers? What do you expect LAPD to do? Hold his hand and sing "kum bay ya"? Come on people, do you really think the cops showed up with the intent on killing the guy? No, they received a call about a man threatening people with a knife. When they arrive he waves it at them and they shoot. End of story.

[bill]

Maybe, if he was waving around a Nerf Football. Then he could be considered non-violent. A knife is a deadly weapon, and you should not bring one to a gun fight!!!

[Randy]

Not violent? How many non-violent people threaten others with a knofe and refuse to drop it for police? Another fine ciminal, I mean citizen....

[nick]

not violent but he pulls a knife on a cop haha

[Proud American]

I guess an illegal charging at an officer isn't considered a violent act to them. I think the cops did the right thing.

[tinman]

Does anyone else find it perplexing that 40 people protested against the police for a drunk illegal alien threatening pedestrians and police officers with a knife?

[samir Mohammed]

he is brown from Guatemala ,that why he was killed in cold blood. those illegal central american came to LA in the 80th when the CIA with the government of Guatemalan killed over 70 thousand people , they run from the war . just like the Iraqi . stop the killing LAPD if he white or a jew you will never killed him.

[kid plumper]

"He wasn't violent, he was just a drunk with a machete trying to chop people up, that's all."

[jeffee]

Never take a knife to a gun fight.

[larry]

wielding only a knife and two cops with guns?
What happened to their tazors or pepper spray?
Of course the investigation will "find them justified".

[bluebar68]

Justice was served sounds like a good shooting.We have a drunk guy with a knife threatening to stab citizens and the police he was ordered to put the knife down and refused Boom Boom. Justice was served.His family new he had a drinking problem and new he liked to drink on the weekends.Sounds like he should have stayed home if he was going to drink under the watchful eye of his loving family.Its very sad that his family did not take care of him.

[FLETCH3]

A man wiith a knife in his hand and not complying to officers orders is not a non-violent man.If he was,he would've been holding his beer instead.And all of you (if you can read english)who threw bottles and started fires in protest,it just shows YOUR true colors.

[Bob]

But if you have a weapon (knife) and don't obey the police (with a gun) how do you expect the situation to end? And where were these angry family members when Manuel apparently needed them the most?