An unarmed homeless man was shot and killed in Los Angeles earlier this week in an incident that has left LAPD brass concerned over the necessity of the shooting.
According to KTLA, 29-year-old Brandon Glenn was fatally shot on Tuesday night in Venice, Calif.:
The man, described as a transient, had been involved in an altercation with a bouncer at a nearby bar prior to police being called, LAPD Detective Meghan Aguilar initially said Wednesday morning. Police were called with a report of a man “disturbing the peace” and “harassing passersby,” she said.
Brendon Glenn, fatally shot by LAPD on May 5, 2015, in Venice, is shown in a photo provided to KTLA. Brendon Glenn, fatally shot by LAPD on May 5, 2015, in Venice, is shown in a photo provided to KTLA. Officers spoke with the man, who then walked away toward the boardwalk, Beck said. Soon after, officers saw the man approach an individual and start a fight, the chief said.
The officers attempted to detain the suspect, and an altercation occurred between the two officers and the suspect. During that physical altercation, an officer-involved shooting occurred, Beck said.
KTLA reports that Glenn later died at a hospital, while the officer who shot him suffered a minor knee injury. KTLA also adds that the unnamed officer had yet to be questioned about the incident because he was on medication, and authorities believe that could jeopardize the fairness of an interview.
During a press conference yesterday, LAPD Police Chief Charlie Beck announced that, following analysis of video showing the shooting, he could not identify a valid reason for the officer to have shot Glenn:
Any time an unarmed person is shot by a Los Angeles police officer, it takes extraordinary circumstances to justify that, and I have not seen those extraordinary circumstances at this point.
Both the male officer who opened fire and the man killed were black, the chief noted. Even if race is a small part of this, which I don’t think it is, they’re certainly outweighed by the mental health issues, the homeless issues, the alcohol issues, Beck said. All of those things … have nothing to do with a person’s race.
Calling Glenn a "peacemaker," friend, Henry Geller told KTLA that his fatal shooting was unwarranted: "Whatever reason that they had to shoot him, I don’t think it was justified because he wasn’t a confrontational human being by any means."
Both officers involved in the shooting have been placed on desk duty pending the outcome of an investigation.
[via KTLA]
