LAPD Response to Civil Settlement NR18134ml

Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Police Department is disappointed with the finding of liability by a federal civil jury this afternoon regarding the actions of two of several officers who responded to an attempted robbery and assault call and subsequent officer-involved shooting of the suspect, Leundeu Keunang, in 2015. The LAPD thoroughly investigated and analyzed the incident, it was reviewed by the independent Inspector General, and was determined by the civilian Board of Police Commissioners to have been an appropriate use of less-lethal and deadly force.

In addition, after a detailed analysis the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office concluded that “the abundance of physical and video evidence established that the officers’ reasonable assessments of the threat posed by Keunang were as grave and imminent as the officers perceived them to be.”

The LAPD stands by its evaluation of the incident, the findings of the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, and the conclusions of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office that the uses of force by our officers were consistent with the law and Department policy.

LAPD officers are obligated to respond to reports of violent crime and they make every effort to safely take suspects into custody without the use of force. In this situation, force was necessary because of the violent behavior of the suspect who attempted to physically harm and evade the responding officers dedicated to protecting the safety of the public. The Department stands by its officers who appropriately used force, consistent with the law and policy, to defend themselves and others against physical harm.