Officer-Involved Shooting in Newton Division – NRF023-22bb

June 21, 2022

UPDATE:

The officer involved in the incident below has been identified as Police Officer III Jose Bonilla, Serial No. 35959, Newton Patrol 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 Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) in Newton Division.

On June 12, 2022, around 2:45 a.m., Newton Division patrol officers responded to a radio call of Robbery that just occurred at a business in the 100 block of West Florence Ave. When officers arrived, they encountered the suspect located in the northwest corner of the business parking lot. The suspect appeared to be armed with an edged weapon.

Officers deployed from their police vehicle and gave numerous commands for the suspect to disarm and cooperate. As the suspect began to close the distance on the officers, officers discharged 40mm Less-Lethal Launcher rounds, striking the suspect in the lower torso with limited effect on the suspect. As the suspect continued to advance in the direction of one of the officers, an Officer-Involved-Shooting (OIS) occurred. The suspect ceased advancing and returned to the northwest corner of the parking lot. After several minutes of verbal commands, the suspect surrendered to officers.

The suspect, later identified as 22-year-old Luis Ramirez, a resident of Los Angeles, was transported to a local hospital with minor abrasions to his left hand and was cleared for booking.

Ramirez’ weapon, a metal pastry cutter, was recovered at scene and booked as evidence. No officers, bystanders or robbery victims 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.

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.