LOS ANGELES – On Sunday afternoon, a fatal officer-involved shooting occurred between a California Highway Patrol officer and an unidentified male on the 105 freeway in Watts. While details have not been released, a bystander took video of the encounter where the individual was on the ground and the CHP officer fired multiple times.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker, who represents the community of Watts in the 15th District joins California State Senator Steven Bradford (SD-35), Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (AD-65) and the Watts Gang Task Force to call for peace.
“The video is shocking and this shooting must be fully investigated expeditiously,” said Councilmember Tim McOsker. “The community deserves transparency on the circumstances around this incident and I will work with my state-elected counterparts to keep our community apprised of any results of the investigation. My prayers go out to the whole community who have been impacted by this and I join my fellow elected officials and civic leaders in asking for peace at this time.”
“The video of this shooting is deeply disturbing,” said Senator Steven Bradford. “This appears to be an unnecessary use of deadly force. The community deserves answers. If the roles were reversed, people would be immediately calling for murder charges. I call on the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Justice to be transparent and for the community to be calm and patient during the investigation."
“As a son of the Watts community, I know how critical transparency on the part of law enforcement needs to be,” said Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson. “While we do not yet have all the facts that led to this officer-involved shooting, justice should be our focal point. I am committed to working with the California Highway Patrol and my constituents in Watts to ensure accountability and peace moving forward.”
Watts Gang Task Force President Donny Joubert adds, “We want to know what happened, and we’d like full transparency from the California Highway Patrol and to know that every box was checked when they review this incident.”
It was announced by Attorney General Rob Bonta that the Department of Justice (DOJ) California Police Shooting Investigation Team will be leading an independent investigation and will be turned over to the DOJ’s Special Prosecutions Section upon completion of the investigation.
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