Horror as cop stands over man and shoots him in road after tussle caught on film
An investigation has been launched after a man was fatally shot by an officer on a freeway over the weekend.
Horrifying footage was shared on social media that shows the moment a California Highway Patrol officer got into a struggle with the man before standing over him and shooting him multiple times in Los Angeles. It came after highway patrol responded to multiple calls of a male pedestrian walking in westbound lanes of LA's Interstate 105 in south LA County.
The video starts with the officer on top of the man as the pair wrestle on the ground. The two are seen grappling before the officer attempts to get to his feet and pulls his gun as the man appears to lash out at him.
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The officer then fires at least three times, while backing away as the man lies motionless. The officer stands with his gun drawn for around a minute before the video ends.
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California Highway Patrol said it had received calls about the man walking on the freeway before responding and stopping all traffic travelling westbound. In a statement, they said: "During the struggle, the pedestrian was able to access a Taser he had in his possession, activated the weapon, and used the Taser against the officer. Following the pedestrian's use of the weapon against the officer, and in fear of his safety, the officer fired his service weapon."
An investigation has been launched into the use of deadly force (Facebook)The man was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office confirmed the pedestrian died but did not provide identification, as they were waiting to inform the family.
A cause of death was not immediately released. The highway patrol referred inquiries about the investigation to the California Department of Justice, which typically investigates fatal police shootings. The justice department confirmed it was investigating, but provided no additional details.
Los Angeles Councilman Tim McOsker, State Senator Steven Bradford and State Assemblyman Mike Gipson issued a joint statement calling for a thorough investigation into the shooting and peace in the community as the inquiry is conducted. Mr McOsker said: "The video is shocking and this shooting must be fully investigated expeditiously."
Mr Bradford said the shooting "appears to be an unnecessary use of deadly force." He said: "The community deserves answers, if the roles were reversed, people would be immediately calling for murder charges."
However, Travis Norton, a law enforcement officer who leads the California Association of Tactical Officer After Action Review, cautioned that the footage gives a limited view of what took place. Highway patrol officers aren't required to wear body cameras, but the agency does use in-car cameras.
Shocking footage was shared on social media of the moment the officer opened fire on the man (Facebook)"It's hard to diagnose without knowing what the officer saw, experienced and interpreted was happening," he told the Los Angeles Times. "All I see is a very short scuffle.
"I see the suspect point something that appears to look like some sort of weapon... From the video, without knowing anything else about it, the use of deadly force appears appropriate."
Ed Obayashi, a use-of-force expert who investigates police shootings for law enforcement in California, also cautioned against jumping to conclusions from the video alone. He explained investigators would want to know why the officer approached the pedestrian without a partner or other backup nearby.
"They were able to close the freeway, so presumably there was law enforcement in the area," he said. Mr Obayashi said the investigation will look into whether the pedestrian was armed and why the officer felt the need to shoot after standing up and disengaging from the fight.
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“Was there a knife? Or a stun gun?” Obayashi said investigators will ask. “We don’t know what kind of threat this officer perceived.”
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