An off-duty LAPD detective who missed twice when he shot at a suspect trying to rob him in the early morning darkness on a Hollywood street was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, according to documents released by the panel Wednesday.
The commission voted 4-0 and agreed with Police Chief Charlie Beck that the detective’s actions were within department policy because he rightfully feared for his life after the suspect pointed the gun at him.
The detective, who was not identified in a redacted report by Beck, reported that he was walking through Hollywood around 5:25 a.m. May 4, 2016, on his way to a Metro Red Line station when he noticed he was being followed.
The man following him, identified as a 19-year-old man named only J. Noriega, approached the detective from behind near Franklin Avenue and Van Ness Avenue, pulled a gun and called out to him, according to the report.
Noriega then demanded the detective’s backpack, and the detective pretended to comply but pulled his handgun from his holster and fired at Noriega.
Noriega stumbled backward, and the detective fired a second time when Noriega tried to point his weapon at him again. The detective apparently missed both times, with the report stating Noriega was not injured.
Noriega fled and got into a waiting car, but was later arrested along with an accomplice and charged with attempted murder, the report said.
The commission voted 4-0 and agreed with Beck that the detective’s actions were within department policy because he rightfully feared for his life after Noriega pointed the gun at him.
— City News Service