With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
DA Gascón Asks Supes To Name Rodney King Prosecutor To Investigate Police Shootings
L.A. DA George Gascon. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
()
L.A. District Attorney George Gascón has asked the County Board of Supervisors to authorize the hiring of Lawrence Middleton as a special prosecutor to determine whether criminal charges are warranted in past police shootings.
It’s an unprecedented step for an office that rarely has prosecuted police officers involved in shootings, leading to sharp criticism from Black Lives Matter and other activists.
A former federal prosecutor, Middleton was on the team that won the convictions of two LAPD officers for violating Rodney King’s constitutional rights when they beat him in 1991.
If he is hired, Middleton will first focus on four shootings that former DA Jackie Lacey declined to prosecute, said Gascón spokesman Alex Bastian:
- Brendan Glenn, 29, an unarmed homeless black man fatally shot by an LAPD officer in Venice in 2015. You can see the video and read the DA's declination letter here.
- Ricardo Diaz Zeferino, 34, an unarmed man fatally shot by Gardena police officers in 2013. The D.A.'s declination letter is not posted online, but you can watch a video of the shooting here.
- Hector Morejon, 19, an unarmed man who was fatally shot by Long Beach police in 2015. You can read the D.A.'s declination letter here.
- Christopher Deandre Mitchell, 23, who Torrance police say was in possession of an air rifle when they fatally shot him in 2018. You can read the D.A.'s declination letter here.
Gascón has promised to review more than 600 police shootings dating back to 2012 for possible prosecution of the officers and Sheriff’s deputies involved. A Use of Force Review Board working with UC Irvine is plowing through those cases to see if any merit possible reopening, Bastian said.
Support for LAist comes from
For any new shootings that occur, the DA's Justice System Integrity Division will review them, as it has traditionally done in such cases, he said.
A Gascón spokesman said the DA would retain ultimate authority over prosecutions but would defer to the special prosecutor’s decisions.
In a letter to the supervisors, Gascón said he determined he needs a special prosecutor “[t]o promote public confidence in the decision-making process, and the outcome of any such investigations.”
Middleton spent nearly 30 years with the U.S. Attorney’s office that serves most of Southern California, trying more than 50 criminal cases and rising to assistant U.S. attorney leading the criminal division, according to his website. He entered private practice in July 2019.
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist