The Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners cleared an officer who was off duty when he fatally shot a 19-year-old man who was trying to rob him at a fast-food restaurant in Covina, according to documents released Wednesday.
The shooting occurred around 3:15 p.m. last July 6 at a Carl’s Jr. in the 500 block of North Azusa Avenue. Victor Vidal Sigala died at the scene after attempting to rob the officer of his cell phone, according to a report prepared by LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.
Sigala approached the officer, who was not identified in the report, and lifted up his shirt to show that he had a handgun in his pants while demanding the officer’s cell phone, Beck wrote.
Witnesses corroborated that Sigala was trying to rob the officer, Beck wrote, and the officer, fearing for his life and the safety of the patrons in the restaurant, drew his service pistol and shot Sigala in the chest three times, the chief said.
Beck wrote that the shooting was justified, and the commission agreed on a 5-0 vote on Tuesday.
–City News Service