HOLLYWOOD—Two Hollywood Division bicycle officers, responding to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon, shot and killed a suspect brandishing a pocketknife at around 7:00 p.m. on December 5.
The incident took place at the crowded intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, only a few hundred feet from the Dolby Theater, where the Academy Awards take place.
The officers shot the suspect multiple times in the upper torso. An ambulance then took him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was immediately pronounced dead.
Based on images released on social media, the suspect appears to be a young, white adult male.
Witnesses initially reported that the suspect was a street performer who regularly dressed up as the villain from the 1996 horror movie series “Scream.”
The suspect would allegedly scare tourists, as his character would do in movies, and solicit tips for photos.
Authorities deny, however, that the suspect was dressed as the “Scream” character when he was killed.
No officers or bystanders were injured in the incident.
This shooting occurred the day before nearly a thousand protestors, donning black clothes, took to Hollywood Boulevard, and temporarily halted traffic, in protest of police brutality.
Discussing the incident, Officer Richter, an LAPD spokesman, told Canyon News, “We have not released any information yet.”
He explained, “Whenever we have an officer-involved shooting, the Force Investigation Division investigates the matter to evaluate the circumstances of what happened. Once they make a determination as to policy compliance, the information will be released. “
Officer Richter added, “It takes a long time, but the public expects us to do a good job at investigating the matter. We look at these situations very seriously. We want to determine that what occurred was the right thing to do in procedure and in law.”
The Force Investigation Division, established in 2001, in order to “[investigate] all incidents involving the use of deadly force of an LAPD officer,” is also investigating another officer-involved shooting, which occurred nearby a week before.
When asked if the investigation so far points to any indication as to whether the shooting appeared to be compliant with LAPD policy, Force Investigation Division Commanding Officer Robert Lopez told Canyon News, “I cannot provide a comment.”
He continued, “We just started the investigation and it generally takes about 8 months to be completed. At that point, the investigation will be presented to Use of Force Review Board and they will review it and give recommendations. Additionally, the Inspector General will conduct an independent analysis and review, and provide their recommendations. Finally, the investigation will be reviewed by the Chief of Police and the Board of Police Commissioners”
