LOS ANGELES — — The Los Angeles police chief said Wednesday he is concerned about two recent fatal police shootings, including one where officers failed to call for a specially-trained mental health team during an interaction with a man in crisis.
Takar Smith’s death was ruled a homicide — as is typical for fatal police shootings — by gunshot wounds. His wife had sought help from police for a restraining order violation on Jan. 2 and warned the LAPD of her husband's mental health condition. The officers initially attempted to de-escalate the situation but pulled out their weapons — including a stun gun and a less-lethal projectile launcher — after Smith brandished a chair at them, body-worn camera footage shows. The officers later warned him they would “be lethal” when he went into the unit’s kitchen despite their commands.
The shootings came in the days after Moore applied for a second five-year term as the head of the police department. The city's new mayor, Karen Bass, has not yet said whether she supports Moore's reappointment, which will be voted on by the five-member civilian police commission. The City Council can overrule the commission's decision with 10 veto votes.