Officer-Involved Shooting in Mission Division NRF00822bb

May 19, 2022

UPDATE

The officer involved in the below incident has been identified as Mission Patrol Division Police Officer III James Galbraith, Serial No. 32081.

**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 Mission Division.

On April 6, 2022, around 2:20 p.m., officers responded to a radio call in the 8700 block of Tobias Avenue. The comments of the call indicated that a male suspect was breaking windows, armed with a knife and threatening to kill a person. When the officers arrived to the area of the call they made contact and verbalized with the suspect, later identified as 33-year-old Jesus Alan Castellanos.

Castellanos refused to comply with the officer’s commands and charged at the officers with a knife in his hand, resulting in an officer involved shooting and a simultaneous taser deployment.  Castellanos was struck by gunfire and taken into custody.  Los Angeles Fire Department Paramedics responded to the scene and determined Castellanos deceased.

A 6-inch knife was recovered at scene and will be booked as evidence.

No officers or bystanders 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.

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.