Carlos De Anda, 35, Died In Pico-Union, Los Angeles Shooting With LAPD Officers Near New Hampshire Avenue

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (October 19, 2023) – A man identified as Carlos De Anda was killed in a Pico-Union, Los Angeles police shooting by the 1200 block of New Hampshire Avenue.

Los Angeles County officials are saying that the incident took place on September 13. Police officials said that they received numerous calls about a domestic disturbance involving a man with a knife.

Police arrived at the scene and encountered Carlos De Anda. He spoke with them in Spanish and said that he did not want to live. A SMART team was also called to the scene in order to provide assistance.

Body camera footage of the incident appears to show officers yelling “Put the knife down!” Shortly after that encounter, shots were fired.

Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help the man. Carlos De Anda was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

A full investigation into the police shooting remains ongoing at this time.

 

Liability For Los Angeles Police Department Shootings

The LAPD has a long and sordid history with respect to how it has treated suspects over the years. According to the Los Angeles Times, “LAPD officers shot 27 people, killing seven, in all of 2020, and shot 26 people, killing 12, in 2019, The Times reported. Officers shot 33 people in 2018. The 26 shootings in 2019 marked a 30-year low in the number of LAPD shootings in a given year, and a dramatic drop in such shootings from a high of more than 100 per year in the early 1990s.” A disproportionate number of the victims of police shootings were suffering from untreated mental illness. There are many measures that police departments should take in order to avoid shooting mentally ill suspects.

• Police officers should be trained to de-escalate encounters with mentally ill suspects.
• Police officers should wait for backup in high-risk situations.
• Police officers should collaborate with medical health professionals in certain encounters.
• Police officers should be trained to use less-lethal options such as tasers.

Police officers must exercise a great deal of caution during encounters with mentally ill suspects. The police are given a great deal of leeway in how they perform their duties. But at no point may a police officer use excessive force. Pursuant to 42 U.S. Code § 1983, every person who, under the color of any statute, law or ordinance, causes a citizen of the United States to be deprived of their rights secured by the constitution, shall be liable to the injured party in an action at law. When a police officer uses excessive force and kills a suspect, they can be held accountable through a civil claim. It is important that evidence is properly preserved after any police shooting.

• The actions of officers leading up to a shooting should be understood.
• All body camera footage from officers involved should be reviewed.
• Surveillance footage of the incident should be sought.
• An experienced civil rights attorney should be contacted.

It can be hard to know where to begin after any police shooting. To make matters worse, police departments will do everything that they can to deny responsibility if one of their officers is involved in a fatal shooting. Even if a police officers actions seemed reasonable in the moment, they may have been unreasonable depending on what took place prior to the shooting. The family of any person that died in a police shooting may be able to seek some measure of justice through a civil claim.

Investigating Los Angeles Police Department Shootings

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of Carlos De Anda. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to authorities. There are so many questions that still need to be answered.

Have you or someone that you care about been harmed by the excessive force of LAPD officers? There are a number of laws designed to protect your rights. Our team of civil rights advocates are here to help in any way that we can. We focus entirely on helping people who have been harmed by police brutality and jail neglect. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any incident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (949) 825-5200.