LAPD Reports 16 Police Shootings In 6 Months Amid Heightened Scrutiny

LOS ANGELES, CA — Amid heightened scrutiny about police shootings in Los Angeles, the LAPD issued a report showing that officer-involved shootings are on par with annual average dating back to 2016.

The findings were released as the department comes under fire for 3 arrestee deaths in less than 48 hours last month. Relatives of the men killed are suing the city and calling for the officers to be held accountable.

There were 16 police shootings in the last six months of 2022, the department reported Tuesday to the Board of Police Commissioners.

The average number of LAPD shootings per year between 2016 and 2021 was 34.5. The 16 reported shootings from July through December of last year was on pace to fall below the 37 shootings in 2021, but higher than both 2020 (27 shootings) and 2019 (26 shootings).

The City of Angeles has seen three years of increased LAPD shootings following historic lows.

In 2021, LAPD officers shot and killed at least 15 people. LAPD officers killed seven people in 27 officer-involved shootings in 2020, a year after recording a 30-year low in officer shootings. In 2019 LAPD officers shot and killed 12 people.

In the final half of 2022, Thirteen of the 16 shootings resulted in "hits." Twelve of them involved suspects who police said had firearms, and another two "appeared" to have a firearm. One suspect was carrying a knife and another had a machete, according to LAPD. The report did not indicate the status of the suspects who were shot.

Last August, the City Council voted to direct the LAPD to provide bi-annual reports on the number of police shootings and the context of each incident.

Police Chief Michel Moore did not address the report during Tuesday's meeting. Commissioner Steve Soboroff said the commission adjudicates each police shooting incident and does not "rubber stamp" the decisions.

"In many of the cases there are very, very strong discussions about each situation and split votes," Soboroff said.

The investigations into the shootings remain ongoing. Authorities have released few details about the moments leading up to the deadly interactions.

Among the use-of-force deaths that recently renewed calls for reform in the LAPD is the January death of Kennan Anderson, who died in Los Angeles Police custody after he was repeatedly tased following a traffic collision in Venice. He wasa teacher, a father and the cousin of Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors.

SEE ALSO: Teacher Who Died In LAPD Custody Identified As Cousin Of BLM Founder

"LAPD has killed three people this year. One of them is my family member," Cullors said on Instagram. "Keenan deserves to be alive right now, his child deserves to be raised by his father. Keenan we will fight for you and for all of our loved ones impacted by state violence."

Anderson's family has since sued the city for $50 million.

"If you continue to blame the victim and not hold officers accountable, why would they ever stop killing us?" said Dominique Anderson, Keenan's younger sister. "The police are supposed to be here to protect and serve the people, and yet they abuse their authority and have a lack of respect for human life."

The case is one of three in January that spurred city leaders to advocate alternatives to armed police response to mental health calls.

"I will not be convinced by anybody that any of those people deserved to have their life taken, least of Keenan Anderson," Marqueece Harris-Dawson said in January. "His students should be able to learn from him. His family should be able to love him. His community should still have him at this moment."

On Monday, City officials launched a public safety initiative aiming to provide trauma training and services to community intervention workers who implement an unarmed response alternative to policing.

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who chairs the City Council's public safety committee, announced the Project TURN initiative — which stands for Therapeutic Unarmed Response for Neighborhoods — at a briefing Monday at the New Testament Church of Christ in South Los Angeles.

The program, launched with $2.2 million in city funding, seeks to help the over 100 community intervention workers in the city with training provided by the Community Based Public Safety Collective, The Reverence Project and the BUILD Program.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.