California Jury Clears LAPD Officer in Fatal 2016 Shooting of Armed Man

A jury in Los Angeles on Monday determined that an LAPD officer did not use excessive force when he fatally shot an armed 18-year-old man in the back in 2016.

October 2, 2018

A jury in Los Angeles on Monday determined that an LAPD officer did not use excessive force when he fatally shot an armed 18-year-old man in the back in 2016.

Attorneys for the family of Kenney Watkins had filed a civil lawsuit arguing that officer Evan Urias should have stopped and waited for backup when Watkins fled on foot, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Watkins was armed with two guns at the time of the incident.

After a five-day trial, the jury voted 10-2 in favor of Urias and the LAPD, giving no financial award to the plaintiffs.

The Los Angeles Police Commission—a civilian panel that oversees the department—had also ruled in Urias’ favor last July, finding that his use of deadly force was reasonable and within the LAPD’s policies.

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