Charlie Beck, the Los Angeles Police Chief has recommended the filing of criminal charges against police officer Clifford Proctor, who killed an unarmed homeless person, Brendon Glenn. The incident happened on May 5, 2015, after police officers were called to apprehend Glenn.
The Los Angeles Times said that this is the first time that Beck has recommended the filing of charges in a fatal on-duty shooting. LAPD investigators had determined that Glen was on the ground trying to push himself upright when Officer Proctor shot the 29-year-old victim twice in the back. The incident generated fierce criticism of the LAPD and came amid a heated national conversation about how police officers use force, particularly against African Americans.
CBS Los Angeles said that Los Angeles police detectives reviewed surveillance video, witness accounts and other evidence and concluded that Glen was not trying to take Proctor's gun nor that of his partner. Mayor Eric Ofari Hutchinson, in a statement, said that LA police officers perform "heroic duty everyday" but that "accountability is fundamental to the trust that needs to exist between our officers and the people".
Earl Ofari Hutchinson, a Southland civil rights activist, praised Beck's decision to recommend the filing of charges. Hutchison commended that decision for its recognition of the "seriousness of the unwarranted use of deadly force by officers". He also called on Los Angeles County District Attorney, Jackie Lacey, to fast-track the prosecution of the case. He says that delay in the prosecution of the case will convey the message that there is a double standard between the handling of criminal charges against police offices and those of ordinary citizens.
The Atlantic, in a news report, said that, in 2015 alone, police officers across the United States had killed 1,134 people, 210 of these in California, 41 in Los Angeles County and 19 in the city of Los Angeles. No LAPD officer had been charged for on-duty killing for more than 15 years.
Police officer Proctor and Glen, the homeless person, are both black. Proctor's partner said he does not know why Proctor shot Glenn.
