SHERMAN OAKS—The Los Angeles Police Commission cleared a detective who shot and killed a murder and robbery suspect in Sherman Oaks in October 2019.
Lazzeri Frazier Jr., 21, killed Antonio Rodriguez, 52, in broad daylight at an apartment on Burbank Boulevard and Vesper Avenue. Rodriguez was a maintenance worker who Frazier tried to rob. Frazier then robbed a liquor store on Kester Avenue and Burbank Blvd.
LAPD officers, including a captain and detective, were stationed outside of Frazier’s apartment when Frazier came out. Frazier was armed with a gun as he confronted officers who ordered him to put his hands up. The detective delivered three fatal shots after he said Frazier pointed a handgun at him and other officers in pursuit.
Officers indicated they were trying to avoid a barricaded suspect or hostage situation. When he was already on the ground, Frazier fired with the bullet striking the sidewalk.
On Tuesday, September 2, the four-member police commission unanimously disapproved of the plan to catch Frazier.
A report by Chief Michel Moore, who reviews each shooting by LAPD officers, stated that the “inadequate” plan “did not designate roles to personnel, did not utilize available resources to establish a perimeter or arrest team, and did not consider additional contingent tactical strategies to minimize risk to the community.” He added that it left them without “an optimal tactical advantage” to safely conduct the arrest of Frazier.
The Los Angeles Police Commission did not rule the fatal shooting to be out of policy and the detective was cleared in actions taken during the incident.
