VIDEO: LAPD Offers Inside Look at Police Shooting Investigations, Training
LAPD tactics are under scrutiny as the department reviews last year's rise in crime and how officers responded. On Wednesday, members of the media had a front-row view of training at the Davis Academy in Granada Hills, CA, reports KABC.
A simulated crime unfolds, and a police unit rolls up. An officer calls out to man in a hoodie.
"Sir! Turn around."
Then the officer says to his partner, "Gun!" as the officer spots the suspect's weapon. Five rounds explode from the officer's gun.
What happened in those five seconds? For the next nine months, an LAPD Force Investigation team will break it down, with monitors from the District Attorney's Office and the Office of Inspector General watching each step.
What you don't see here is what happened in the seconds before the shooting. The officer must be able to explain why his action was legal and within policy.
Deputy Chief Bill Murray says some of the questions include, "Did they have a tactical plan, did you talk with your partner, did you communicate that plan, did you have the right equipment there?"
What does the evidence show? Video provided by the makers of the Scan Station preserves the entire scene with details in 3-D. Investigators and potentially even a jury can zero in on exactly how it looked at the time of the shooting.
A range of simulations and training practices were on display. The media day follows LAPD's 2015 Use of Force review showing officers shot 38 people last year.
The exercises show there are no simple answers. Last year's incidents demonstrate that while officers used less-than-lethal force more often, frequently the weapons failed to immobilize a growing category of dangerous suspects.
