Protests throughout the country have rocked the nation after grand juries decided not to indict police after the deaths of two unarmed men in Missouri and New York. Los Angeles is now faced with its own potential powder keg.
In December of 2013 Brian Beaird, of Oceanside, led Los Angeles police on a high-speed chase that ended when he collided with another vehicle. When Beaird exited his badly damaged car, he was shot more than a dozen times by police despite relinquishing the only weapon in his possession, the Corvette he had been driving at excessive speed. After an extensive investigation, the Los Angeles Times reports that LA Police Chief Charlie Beck has come to the conclusion that police officers made critical mistakes in their response to Beaird's actions.
Beck held a press conference on Wednesday, December 3 to discuss his conclusion though he has yet to discuss the penalties the officers will face. The officers may still face criminal charges. Beck's investigation has concluded that the officers were no longer at risk once the unarmed mentally ill man exited his car. Their use of deadly force was deemed unnecessary.
The incident was recorded and has been watched countless times on Youtube as the recent New York chokehold incident has been. While the Los Angeles case does not have a racial undertone, all of the recent cases will hopefully lead to a national dialogue about the potential use of excessive force by police.