Los Angeles Police Department releases footage of two officer-involved deaths involving individuals in behavioral health crises
The Los Angeles Police Department released videos on Friday showing the deaths of Jose Carlos Hoyos-Munoz and Alejandro Luis Garcia. Jose Carlos Hoyos-Munoz was found unconscious and not breathing in a jail cell after officers repeatedly used physical force to restrain him. The footage shows officers pinning Hoyos-Munoz to the ground and using their body weight to hold him down while he was combative and spitting at them. Officers eventually placed a spit-prevention hood over his head and moved him to a bunk where he was held face down. Alejandro Luis Garcia was fatally shot by officers on July 29 after he advanced toward them with a baseball bat. Garcia had allegedly shattered several vehicle windows and was attempting to strike passersby. Officers fired shots and instructed Garcia to drop his weapon. Garcia fell to the ground and dropped the bat before being transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Mayor Karen Bass described the footage as difficult to watch and stated that the deaths highlight the need for better care for individuals in mental health crises. The administration plans to issue an executive directive for an independent evaluation of police deaths and severe injuries involving people experiencing mental health crises.
Sources
-
LAPD releases videos after 2 in-custody deaths, including handcuffed inmate beaten by officers
ABC7 Los Angeles
-
Video shows LAPD detention officers restraining man before jail death
Corrections1
-
LAPD releases footage of death of man whom police handcuffed and beat
The Guardian