LAPD Did Not Violate Deadly Force Rules in 2015 Shooting, Panel Finds

As hundreds of demonstrators descended on downtown Los Angeles, the city’s Police Commission on Tuesday faulted two LAPD officers for their tactics leading up to the death of a woman in South L.A. last year, but found that the fatal shooting did not violate the department’s deadly force policy, reports the Los Angeles Times .

The fatal shooting of Redel Jones was one of several by Los Angeles police officers last year that prompted criticism from activists, including those affiliated with the local Black Lives Matter movement. In the year after Jones’ death, her name has been chanted at meetings, written on signs carried at protests, and spread on Twitter as a hashtag.

Jones, 30, was fatally shot after Los Angeles police say she moved toward an officer while holding a knife. The LAPD has said Jones matched the description of a woman who robbed a nearby pharmacy about 20 minutes earlier, prompting officers to pursue her into the alley.

The commission discussed the shooting behind closed doors and announced its decision to the public without elaborating. A more detailed written explanation of the decision is expected to be released later.