This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Ezell Ford killing: City says LAPD officers acted in self-defense
A memorial for Ezell Ford stands on the 200 block of West 65th Street, where he was shot by LAPD officers.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Listen
1:11
Ezell Ford killing: City says LAPD officers acted in self-defense
A mentally ill African American man knowingly acted in a way that forced two LAPD officers to fatally shoot him, according to a federal court filing by the Los Angeles City Attorney.
The two officers shot Ezell Ford, who was unarmed, after he tried to grab one of their guns, according to LAPD officials and the court filing.
The shooting occurred August 11 on West 65th Street in South LA. Ford was 25.
Ford “knew and understood the degree of risk, and voluntarily assumed such risk,” according to documents the city filed in response to a lawsuit by the family. “The forced used…was caused and necessitated by the actions of the decedent, and was reasonable and necessary for self-defense.”
The shooting, which drew comparisons to the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked angry protests outside LAPD headquarters. Chief Charlie Beck later attended a raucous town hall meeting in an attempt to calm tensions.
Ford’s parents have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city, the LAPD, and Officers Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas. The lawsuit, which seeks $75 million from the city, says Ford complied with the officers’ orders to lie on the ground.
The family says Wampler and Villegas, two Newton Division anti-gang officers who regularly patrolled the neighborhood, knew Ford and knew he was “mentally challenged.”
Sponsored message
"They knew that he was basically helpless and harmless,” Ford family attorney Steven Lerman told reporters last month. “Yet, they proceeded to attack him, bring him to the ground and shoot and kill him without justification.”
LAPD officials have said officers were conducting an “investigative stop” on Ford. They have not elaborated on why officers confronted him.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
