Officer-Involved Shooting in Foothill Division NRF02722bb

June 27, 2022  

UPDATED

 The officers involved in the incident below has been identified as Police Officer II Christopher Kliebert, Serial No. 43292 and Police Officer II Andrew Mejia, Serial No. 43368, Foothill Patrol Division.

June 21, 2022                                                                                                           NRF027-22bb

**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) in Foothill Division.

On June 19, 2022, at around 10:40 p.m., Foothill Division patrol officers received a “415 Man with a Gun” radio call. The comments of the radio call documented the suspect’s description to include being in possession of a bicycle. Upon the officers’ arrival to the area of Van Nuys Boulevard and Laurel Canyon Boulevard, they observed a person matching the description of the reported suspect armed with a firearm. The officers exited their police vehicle to make contact with the suspect, utilizing their vehicle doors for cover. An officer gave the suspect verbal commands, the suspect walked in the direction toward the officers and removed a firearm from his front waist area, firing at the officers, resulting in an Officer- Involved Shooting (OIS). The suspect was struck by the officers’ gunfire and taken into custody without further incident. Due to the suspect’s injury, a Rescue Ambulance transported the suspect to the hospital. While at the hospital, the assigned physician pronounced the suspect deceased.

The suspect was later identified as 24-year-old Oscar Santiago, a resident of Los Angeles.

No Officers, victims, or bystanders were injured during this incident.

Santiago’s loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun was recovered at scene and will be booked as evidence.

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