(LOS ANGELES) — The Los Angeles Police Department released body camera footage Tuesday that shows a police officer shooting and killing a man who charged at him while holding a plastic fork earlier this month.
The Feb. 3 incident that killed 36-year-old Jason Lee Maccani is under investigation by the state Department of Justice, according to Police Chief Michel Moore, who told the Police Commission last week he had “concerns relative to the actions of the officer involved.”
Authorities were called to the 800 block of East 7th Street, near the Skid Row area of Los Angeles, on Feb. 3 around 2:20 p.m., local time, according to Captain Kelly Muniz.
Muniz notes that a business owner at a warehouse in the area called police after a man was allegedly threatening employees with a stick. He was believed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident, Muniz said.
In the 911 audio released Tuesday, the business owner said the suspect was “getting aggressive.”
When authorities arrived, Maccani went into an office on the fourth floor of the warehouse where he had access to “sharp objects,” the business owner told police, according to Muniz.
In security footage released by LAPD, six officers are seen approaching the office where Maccani had retreated. Police say they gave “verbal commands” for Maccani to exit the location with his hands raised.
Officers then ordered Maccani to turn around and walk backward toward them, according to Muniz. Maccani initially complied but then turned and “charged” toward the officers, Muniz said.
One of the officers observed Maccani holding what he believed to be a screwdriver and deployed a less-lethal 40mm projectile launcher at Maccani and another officer fired two rounds of a beanbag shotgun at him, Muniz said, but noted the less-lethal methods were not effective.
Maccani continued to advance toward the officers and made contact with one of the officers, grabbing the beanbag shotgun, according to Muniz.
Maccani was then shot by another officer’s gunfire, taken to the ground, and taken to the hospital where he later died, according to Muniz.
The object initially believed to be a screwdriver or knife turned out to be a white plastic fork.
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