LAPD Shoots Unarmed, Injured Man In The Head When He Flags Them Down For Help- video

The Los Angeles Police Department says their officers shot and then handcuffed an unarmed man on Friday evening because they believed he was holding a gun in a towel (his hand was wrapped in a towel, probably because it was injured).

The incident was caught on cellphone video in Los Feliz. According to NBC Los Angeles, the victim was trying to wave a patrol car down for help. LAPD Lt. John Jenal told the LA Times, “This person extended an arm wrapped in a towel. The officer exited the vehicle and said, ‘Drop the gun, drop the gun.”

Witnesses in the area reportedly said they’d heard four gunshots total. And even after cops shot the still-unidentified man in the head, they went ahead and handcuffed him, despite the fact that he was clearly incapacitated (he had a massive, bleeding wound).

LAPD is defending its actions. Cmdr. Andrew Smith said officers were just following protocol: “We always do that. That’s the policy … to handcuff someone in a situation like that.”

Many are questioning this claim, though, because the man was visibly injured and not resisting police. Cmdr. Smith also told the LA Times that his department will conduct an investigation into the incident and also try to determine if the person was attempting a possible “suicide by cop.”

At this point, police still do not know why the man initially flagged them down. The injured man was taken to the hospital in critical condition.- Crime Feed

photo via blogher.com

Adult Language and Violence Warning