Earlier in March, the Los Angeles police force became yet another department in the nation facing controversy regarding the use of force. According to the New York Times, police were trying to arrest a man who lived in the city's Skid Row district. Video of the incident shows a group of officers scuffling with a man on the sidewalk surrounded by tents and blankets in the area of Los Angeles crowded with thousands of homeless people. A group of bystanders watches as police pin the suspect to the ground as other officers try to keep them at a safe distance. Suddenly, gun fire rings out and Charly Leundeu Keunang lies motionless on the city sidewalk. Police are investigating the incident in which the unarmed man allegedly grabbed an officer's weapon prompting the use of deadly force by others.
Regardless of the facts, shootings of unarmed black men throughout the United States in recent months have exacerbated public distrust of the nation's police force. Activists in Los Angeles are calling for a independent investigation into the shooting. The aforementioned video and evidence from some of the officers' body cameras will surely figure prominently into any investigations.