Officer-Involved Shooting in Foothill Division NRF034-21rj

July 7, 2021 NRF034-21ne

The officers involved in below incident have been identified as Police Officer II Edgar Simental, Serial No. 43191, Police Officer II Ricardo Mota, Serial 43538, assigned to Mission Area Patrol and Police Officer III Joshua Fluty, Serial No. 38443, Police Officer I Ruben Ovsepyan, Serial No. 44408, both assigned to Foothill Area Patrol.

**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**

Pacoima: Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Force Investigation Division is investigating an Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) that occurred in Foothill Division.

On June 28th, 2021 around 9:58 a.m., LAPD Mission Patrol officers were in the area of Osborne St & Laurel Canyon Blvd. The officers saw a motorist driving recklessly and attempted to pull the vehicle over. The driver fled in his vehicle, resulting in a vehicle pursuit. The motorist drove northbound on the 5 Freeway and exited at the Terra Bella St off-ramp, where he lost control of his vehicle. After the vehicle came to a rest in the dirt section of the off-ramp, the driver exited the vehicle armed with a pistol. The driver pointed the pistol at officers, resulting in an Officer Involved Shooting. The driver was struck by gunfire and transported to a local hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics where he was pronounced deceased. The driver has been identified as 26-year-old Christopher Mark Garcia.

The pistol used by Garcia was recovered at the scene and booked as evidence. No officers or bystanders were injured during this 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. 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 will review the subsequent FID investigation; evidence collected and witness statements to determine if the force used by the officer was reasonable.