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LAPD Kill 12 in 2008 So Far: Bratton Says Criminals 'Coming Out in the Losing End'
Photo by discarted via LAist Featured Photos
The first quarter results are in for officer involved shootings and the survey says there have been 15 such incidents, 12 of them killing suspects (this number was the same in 2006). Of the 12 deaths, 10 guns were recovered on the suspects. Last year during the same reporting period, there were 18 officer involved shootings leading to 6 deaths.
The Daily News says that "the quarterly report shows the ratio of shots fired has not changed much, but the hits have become more lethal." Does that mean our cops are better trained marksman now?
Critics say it's a lack of training when it comes to the need to use lethal force. "Whenever there is too many killings, it's always because of a lack of training, a lack of supervision," Luis Carrillo said in the newspaper. Carrillo is the attorney for the family of Byron San Jose, who was shot and killed by LAPD when he got out of his car holding a microphone stand. He was one of two shot and killed suspects who did not have a gun on him. "The fact is that too many civilians are being killed by law enforcement," he continued. "This shows me that too many times, officers are too quick to use deadly force when the circumstances may not call for deadly force."
The other officer involved shooting that led to the death of a suspect sans gun was posted on LAPD's blog. "Investigators recovered the object, a cigarette lighter power adapter, Cox pointed at the officers." A video of this incident is below (you can actually see the guy moving around after he was shot)
LAPD's Chief William Bratton told the LA Police Commission that "it is very difficult to interpret this. Attacks on police officers this year to date are down 44percent by gang members, yet we are seeing a significant increase in this type of assault where they are engaging in shootouts. They (gangsters) are increasingly coming out in the losing end."
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