Officer-Involved Shooting in Harbor Division NRF046-21ll

August 18, 2021

The officer involved in the below incident has been identified as Harbor Area Patrol, Police Officer III Pavel Gomez, Serial No. 31659.

**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 in Harbor Division.

On August 13, 2021, around 10:42 a.m., LAPD Harbor Patrol Division officers responded to a radio call of an attempt suicide, male mental armed with a knife in the1700 block of Wilmington Boulevard. As officers arrived, they saw the suspect, later identified as 26-year-old Brandon Russell Mayhand Jr., holding a knife in his hand. Mayhand was told to drop the knife, however he refused to comply. Mayhand began to walk toward the officers. One officer deployed a beanbag shotgun. Mayhand remained on his feet refusing to comply to stop and drop the knife. A second officer deployed the 40mm less lethal projectile. Mayhand remained on his feet and continued to advance on the officers with the knife in his hand resulting in an officer involved shooting. Mayhand was struck and fell to the ground with the knife by his hand. An officer deployed a TASER while an arrest team moved toward him and took him into custody.

Mayhand was transported by the Los Angeles Fire Department to a local hospital for medical treatment.

The knife Mayhand was armed with was recovered at scene.

No officers were injured during the incident.

LAPD’s specialized Force Investigation Division responded to the scene and interviewed witnesses and supervised the collection of evidence by the Forensic Science Division. Representatives 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, 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.