One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
The LAPD Claims Leadership in Autism Training After Fatal Shooting of Unarmed Man
Photo by CarbonNYC via Flickr
Over the weekend, the LAPD shot and killed an unarmed man in Koreatown who was behaving suspiciously and appeared to be removing something from his waistband. The victim was 27-year-old Steven Washington, and according to his family, was autistic. The gang enforcement officers, Allan Corrales and George Diego, believed Washington was reaching for a weapon, and fired once, striking him in the head, according to an AP report.Corrales and Diego's actions have prompted the ACLU to investigate the shooting, and calls into question the LAPD's procedures when it comes to dealing with members of the autistic community. Today the LAPD has released information about their training, claiming leadership and innovation when it comes to such experience on the force. They offer multiple periodic one-hour courses and other training to certain divisions and officers, and have had a partnership with the Autism Society of America since 2007.
But ACLU of Southern California Executive Director Ramona Ripston has said that it is not clear "why lethal force was necessary when officers were not responding to any report of criminal activity and had no reason to suspect Mr. Washington of a crime." Ripston hopes this leads to the LAPD re-examining the depth and breadth of their training when dealing with mentally ill suspects. The LAPD's Force Investigation Division and the district attorney's office are investigating the shooting.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
