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.
Update Ezell Ford shooting: LAPD places 'security hold' on autopsy report
Marchers leave flowers and candles at a memorial on West 65th Street where Ford was fatally shot on Monday by Los Angeles police.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Listen
1:15
Update Ezell Ford shooting: LAPD places 'security hold' on autopsy report
The Los Angeles Police Department has blocked the release of findings from an autopsy of Ezell Earl Ford, the unarmed African-American man who was fatally shot by gang officers in South L.A. last week.
The LAPD regularly places a “security hold” on autopsies during early stages of an investigation, according to Cmdr. Andrew Smith.
“We don’t want the witnesses’ testimony to be tainted,” Smith said. Detectives want to obtain “clean interviews” from people, rather than a repetition of what they may have seen in media reports about Ford’s death, he added.
“They could use information from the autopsy to give credibility to their story,” Smith said.
Sponsored message
Speaking with KPCC, Loyola Law School Professor, Laurie Levenson agreed that it's not uncommon for police to delay the release of an autopsy, in order to gather information from witnesses.
But the delayed autopsy report stirred new controversy on Monday. Jubilee Shine of the Coalition for Community Control Over the Police accused the LAPD of trying to "cover their tracks," by giving detectives time to "concoct a story" about the shooting.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, issued a statement criticizing the police "security hold":
"The blocking of the autopsy report of Ford comes on the heels of the release of the autopsy report on Michael Brown which contradicted the police version of how Brown was killed." says Hutchinson. "The blocking of the release Ford autopsy report further fuels suspicions about the LAPD's version of the Ford killing."
Two officers shot Ford, 25, after he tried to grab one of their guns, according to the LAPD. Newton Division gang officers stopped Ford as he was walking near his home around 8:15 p.m. on Aug. 11 for what the department has described as “an investigative stop.”
“Officers are allowed to have consensual encounters with people,” Smith said. “As they got near this guy, they saw him acting suspiciously, including hiding his hands in front of himself.”
Sponsored message
Smith said Ford “basically tackled” one of the officers as the officer approached him.
The killing has sparked outrage among Ford’s family, neighbors and community activists, who question the police version of events. Why, they ask, did the LAPD stop Ford in the first place?
Ford's mother, Tribotia Ford, has said her son is mentally ill and has called the shooting unjustified. Activists say it is another example of police targeting an African-American man, with deadly results.
This story has been updated.
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.
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.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
