The number of people fatally shot by Los Angeles Police Department officers has decreased in recent years, but the civilian body that oversees the department has found that officers’ actions were significantly flawed in a majority of the cases.
The Los Angeles Police Commission has faulted officers for firing unnecessary shots, failing to maintain effective communication with one another and failing to wait for reinforcements, among other transgressions, a Times analysis of fatal shootings since 2018 shows.
While some of the mistakes likely did not change the outcome of the incident, others led to a fatal confrontation that might have been avoided or increased the chance of death for a civilian hit by multiple bullets.
The Times analysis, based on reports from the Police Commission and Chief Michel Moore, as well as video narratives compiled by the LAPD, adds to questions about whether the department could do more to prevent the killing of civilians.
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