Officer-Involved-Shooting in West Valley Division NRF034-20ma

***UPDATE***

August 14, 2020 The West Valley Division officer involved in the below incident has been identified as a Police Officer III Steven Pressler, Serial No. 38763.

**The following information is based on a preliminary and ongoing investigation, which continues to evolve as investigators interview witnesses, review physical and electronic records, and analyze forensic evidence. The Department’s understanding of the facts and circumstances may change as additional evidence is collected and analyzed**

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Force Investigation Division is investigating an Officer-Involved-Shooting (OIS) that occurred early Friday morning in West Valley Division.

On August 7, 2020, around 6:15 a.m., LAPD patrol officers, assigned to West Valley Division, responded to a call of a man with a knife in the area of Reseda Boulevard and Victory Boulevard. When the officers arrived, they saw the subject of the radio call, 31-year-old Aleksandr Rusanovskiy, walking in the street, holding a kitchen knife with a blade approximately 6 inches long. The officers gave Rusanovskiy commands, which he ignored, and ran in the direction of the officers; at that time, an officer-involved shooting occurred.

Rusanovskiy was struck by gunfire and fell to the ground. He was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital where he underwent surgery.

The knife Rusanovskiy was armed with was located at scene and recovered as evidence. No officers or innocent bystanders were injured during this incident.

Rusanovskiy was booked for assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.

LAPD’s specialized Force Investigation Division responded to the scene and interviewed witnesses and supervised the collection of evidence by the Forensic Science Division. A representative from the Office of the Inspector General responded and monitored the scene investigation.

The complete investigation will be reviewed by the Chief of Police, the Board of Police Commissioners, and the Office of the Inspector General to determine the thoroughness and accuracy of the investigation and whether the use of deadly force complied with LAPD’s policies and procedures. Additionally, representatives from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office who responded to the scene will review the subsequent FID investigation; evidence collected and witness statements to determine if the force used by the officer was reasonable.