(LOS ANGELES) — The Los Angeles City Council president is demanding answers after security cameras captured two Burbank Police officers allegedly dropping off a homeless man near his office and driving away as he lay on the ground this week.
Councilman Paul Krekorian released the video that showed the two uniformed officers pull up to the street in North Hollywood on June 6, get the unidentified man out of their marked vehicle in handcuffs, uncuffing him and then driving off as he appeared to get on the ground on all fours.
The man, who wasn’t wearing any shoes, is then seen lying on the ground on his belly.
“This was callus cruel, inhumane and fundamentally irresponsible,” Krekorian told reporters at a news conference Friday.
Krekorian said his office staffers were able to find the man and get him medical care after they were given the security footage, he said.
The councilman said he was outraged that the officers showed no attempt to help the man.
“Without giving any aid to this person, without determining if anyone could provide services to this person, they dumped him in North Hollywood,” Krekorian said.
The councilman reached out to the Burbank mayor’s office about the incident. The city said that the Burbank Police Department “is conducting an in-depth investigation.”
“We do not take this concern lightly, as the City of Burbank’s foremost priority is to provide our unhoused residents with the support and resources necessary to transition from the streets into stable and secure living conditions,” Burbank Mayor Nick Schultz said in a statement on Friday.
Krekorian said his office determined that the man sought medical treatment at a hospital in Burbank and hospital staff called the police when he allegedly became unruly.
The Burbank Police Department released more details about the officers’ encounter with the man.
Officers responded to a call around 8:45 a.m. PT on Thursday, of a man sitting naked at a bus stop on Buena Vista Street and Alameda Avenue, just outside Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, according to the police.
When the officers encountered the man, he refused an offer for clothes as he had his own clothes, police alleged.
The man allegedly told officers that he was homeless and had been transported to the hospital from the Sunland-Tujunga area, according to the police.
“The individual said he had a leg injury he had suffered many years ago, and officers learned he had left the hospital voluntarily prior to the officers’ arrival. Upon inquiry, the individual declined any medical service(s),” the Burbank PD said in a statement.
Why experts say some unhoused people are unfairly assumed to be dangerous
The police alleged that in order “to gain cooperation for the individual to put on clothing, the officers offered to drive the individual to a place of his choosing,” and he eventually got dressed.
At first, the man allegedly asked to be transported to the Sunland-Tujunga area but then agreed to be transported to the Metro Red Line in North Hollywood, according to the police.
During the ride the man allegedly asked to be let out to get coffee, the police said.
“The officers complied immediately with his request, pulled over, and let the individual out of the patrol vehicle,” the Burbank PD said in a statement.
The police said it is reviewing all evidence in the incident, including body-worn cameras and witness statements. They thanked Krekorian for bringing it to their attention.
The councilman stressed that law enforcement should be taking better care when it comes to dealing with the ongoing crisis of unhoused individuals.
“If you see it happening to see it on a random security camera, chances are it’s happening a lot more often at times when we don’t see it,” he said.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
