Two officers who helped save a woman allegedly kidnapped and raped by a man posing as an Uber driver were cleared of any wrongdoing Tuesday by the Los Angeles Police Commission after one of the officers shot at the suspect.
The 5-0 vote by the commission agreed with Chief Charlie Beck’s assertion that the officers’ use of force was within department policy.
The incident occurred on April 3, 2016 in the Westlake district after a woman was allegedly approached by the suspect, Dartanyun Lamar Smith, as she was waiting for an Uber and he convinced her he was from the ride-sharing service.
However, the woman became alarmed and called 911 from the backseat of the SUV after she realized Smith was not taking her to her destination and became “scared and knew something was going to happen,” according to Beck’s report on the incident.
After Smith began sodomizing, beating and sexually assaulting her in the back seat, other witnesses also called 911, the report said.
Two officers responded to the call. One of them, Officer Jhoel DeJesus, has previously been identified by the LAPD as the one who shot at Smith, but the other officer has not been identified.
After locating the SUV in the 300 block of Ingraham Street, the officers witnessed Smith assaulting the victim and one of them shattered the rear driver’s side window with a baton, shattering it, according to Beck’s report.
Smith then ignored the officers’ commands, jumped in the front seat, started the SUV and aimed it at DeJesus, according to Beck’s report. DeJesus then fired one shot at Smith, but missed him.
The officers got into their squad car to try to chase Smith, but were unable to find his car. They did however locate the victim a few blocks away as she had managed to escape.
Smith was later arrested and charged with one felony count each of forcible rape, sodomy, kidnapping to commit rape and assault on a peace officer.
–City News Service