Lethal Force Other-Incident in North Hollywood NRF006-23ne

February 15, 2023

UPDATE

The officer involved in the below incident has been identified as Police Officers II Oswaldo Pedemonte, Serial No. 33181, North Hollywood Division.

**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 incident involving the use of Lethal Force Other.

On February 8, 2023, at around 5:15 a.m., North Hollywood Area uniformed patrol officers responded to a radio call at the 5600 block of Denny Avenue for an “Assault with a Deadly Weapon” (ADW) suspect.

The radio call indicated the suspect, later identified as Jonathan Mitrani, 31-years-old, was armed with a knife and under the influence of alcohol and narcotics. The officers arrived at the location and observed Mitrani, armed with a knife, standing next to a person on the sidewalk. The officers immediately gave verbal commands to Mitrani to drop the knife. Mitrani refused to comply with the commands and moved towards an officer resulting in the deployment of a TASER and Beanbag Shotgun.

Both less lethal munitions were ineffective, and Mitrani ran south to Burbank Boulevard. The officers followed Mitrani, who was still armed with the knife, which resulted in a second and third deployment of the Beanbag Shotgun. This again proved ineffective, and Mitrani ran back toward the officers. An additional TASER deployment was utilized again with no effect. At this time one officer drove his police vehicle approximately 3-5 miles per hour and intentionally struck Mitrani to stop his actions.

Mitrani fell to the ground and immediately stood up, still holding the knife and ran directly at the officers. A takedown to the ground was conducted by one of the officers, and Mitrani was subsequently disarmed and taken into custody.

Mitrani was transported to a local hospital by paramedics where he was treated for excessive vomiting as a result of intoxication and medically cleared for booking. Mitrani was booked on an open charge of ADW on a Police Officer with a Knife.

One officer received abrasions to his left hand and both knees. A pocketknife with a four-inch blade was recovered at scene.

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.