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LAPD haven't released much information about officers who shot an unarmed man in Los Feliz Friday evening. But they did explain why police turned over and then handcuffed a bloody, seriously injured man who very clearly wasn't resisting arrest—a moment caught on video and circulated on social media.
Police say it's standard procedure to handcuff someone who is considered a suspect and hasn't been searched. Cmdr. Andrew Smith, a spokesman for the LAPD, told the Times, "We always do that. That's the policy...to handcuff someone in a situation like that."
The man, whose name has not been released and remains in critical condition, tried to flag down police at 6:35 p.m. Friday at Los Feliz Boulevard and Tica Drive, police said. He yelled out, "Police! Police!"
LAPD Lt. John Jenal told the Times, "This person extended an arm wrapped in a towel. The officer exited the vehicle and said, 'Drop the gun! Drop the gun!" That's when at least one police officer opened fire and the man collapsed on the ground.
Smith said the LAPD is investigating all possibilities, including whether the man was trying to get help from police or whether it was an attempt at "suicide by cop."
The Los Feliz Ledger interviewed witnesses and neighbors. Noah Evslin, a 39-year-old TV producer, said he heard three shots and witnessed the immediate aftermath of the scene. He said it appeared that police hit him twice in the chest and once in the head. He saw firsthand the scene captured on video, and he said police "manhandled him."
"This clearly was just a guy needing help," Evslin said, "and he got shot by police."
He added, "I have friends who are cops and I know how hard their job is, especially now, and it’s impossible to know how you’d react to a situation until you’re in the middle of it."
The original video of the aftermath has since been taken down, but here's a fresh copy of the video. Warning: it is graphic:
