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Video released by Long Beach police on Saturday shows part of a standoff outside a nearby church that resulted in an officer fatally shooting a man. The man’s family said he was suffering from a mental health crisis.
Brandon Boyd, 38, was shot and killed by police outside a Long Beach church hours after police showed up in response to a text message reporting a man with a gun. His family has criticized the police response.
Long Beach police said officers who arrived at Iglesia de Cristo Miel, a church on Atlantic Avenue near 52nd Street, sent hostage negotiators and a psychiatric evaluation team hours before the shooting. They said they tried to calm down the situation.
Police said a SWAT team was brought in after Boyd did not cooperate for more than two hours. The approximately 17-minute video released Saturday includes police body camera footage of part of the interaction with Boyd, who was sitting on the steps of the church.
At one point in the video, an officer calls out to Boyd: We just want to see what’s in your hands. ”
Boyd told officers that he was the one who called 911 about the man with the gun. As shown in the video, the dispatcher received a series of text messages to 911. During the conversation, the officer repeatedly asked Boyd if he had a gun and asked him to come down the stairs with his hands on his head.
Boyd said she wanted to give police time to direct traffic and expressed concern for others in the area.
“I don’t want this to be about anyone else. … I just saw a bunch of kids, so please move the traffic,” he says in the video.
He later told officers: …Someday, I’ll force your hand out of my way. ”
Excerpts from the body cameras were interspersed with written explanations of what the department had uncovered. Authorities said SWAT team members used flashbang devices and foam projectiles as part of an “arrest plan.”
After police fired a flashbang, Boyd was seen reaching behind his back, grabbing something and pointing it at him, security video inside the church shows. Police said Boyd fired a handgun at officers.
Police said four officers fired their weapons. Boyd was shot and pronounced dead at the scene. One police officer was hit in the arm and taken to hospital for treatment.
The Long Beach Post reported that authorities believe one of the shots fired by Boyd injured the officer, but Boyd’s family suggested he may have been wounded by a fellow officer. are.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson acknowledged in a statement Saturday the deep pain and sadness the shooting has caused the community. Richardson said he has been in constant communication with Police Chief Wally Hebeish and has “advocated for transparency and the timely release of important documents to ensure clarity and maintain public trust.” .
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the city’s Police Oversight Commission will also investigate the incident, Richardson said.
“Importantly, this process includes input from residents, giving the community a voice and demonstrating a citywide commitment to transparency and accountability,” he said. “We will continue to prioritize these values through this difficult time.”
At a press conference last month with members of Black Lives Matter Grassroots, Boyd’s family condemned the police’s actions that November night. According to his sister, his brother has six children and is currently without a father.
“He was peaceful and needed help,” Tiffany Boyd told reporters. “Nevertheless, police decided to escalate the situation by using a flash grenade. This was a violent and unnecessary act that led to the shooting death of her brother.”
Tiffany Boyd could not be reached for comment Saturday night. Representatives from the Long Beach chapter of Black Lives Matter Grassroots did not immediately comment on the video.
Group members also condemned the treatment of three of Boyd’s family members after the shooting, saying police handcuffed and abused them, leaving one member with a broken arm. Police told the Long Beach Post that three people were arrested for disturbing a crime scene, and one person was accused of punching an officer.
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