A homeless Cameroon national who was shot six times during a struggle with Los Angeles police officers on Skid Row had methamphetamine, ecstasy and marijuana in his system, according to an autopsy report obtained Wednesday.
Charly Keunang, 43, was killed March 1 when he struggled with one of the officers over his gun in the 500 block of South San Pedro Street, authorities previously said.
LAPD officials said officers went to the location to talk to Keunang on a robbery call.
Millions of people viewed the confrontation after a witness uploaded video footage to Facebook. The shooting put a spotlight on rising tensions between police and homeless people, and witnesses have given conflicting accounts of what happened.
The cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, according to the coroner’s report, which states that “the manner of death is deemed homicide.”
In the context of an autopsy, “homicide” as the “manner of death” indicates that the death was by the hand of another.
Keunang was shot twice in the chest. He also had gunshot wounds to his left arm and upper body.
Toxicology tests indicated “presumptive positive” results for marijuana, methamphetamine and MDMA, a psychoactive drug commonly known as ecstasy or, more recently as Molly, the coroner’s office reported.
In April, an attorney for Keunang’s family announced a $20 million claim against the LAPD and the city.
—City News Service