(Newswire.net — March 2, 2015) — Los Angeles, Ca. – Authorities say forensics specialists are examining the video that shows six officers struggling to arrest a homeless couple on Sunday evening in Los Angeles. Video shows a man and a woman resisting arrest when suddenly a police officer fired a shoot. After about two seconds, three additional shots were heard and a second later, the fifth shoot was fired.
LAPD said officers fatally shot a man during a struggle over a one officer’s weapon. The video shows that shots wese fired while the victim was on the ground.
It remains unclear if the man really tried to snatch the officer’s handgun, that part is not clearly visible on the video posted by a passer-by. Commander Andrew Smith said LAPD officers responded to a 911 call reporting a possible robbery. Allegedly, officers found the suspect among the homeless’ tents on the street, however it is unclear if the suspect was actually homeless or just trying to hide among them.
According to Smith, officers approached the man at which point he “began fighting and physically resisting the officers.” Smith said officers used the taser in attempt to take him into custody, however, the taser-gun was “ineffective.”
“At some point in there, a struggle over one of the officer’s weapons occurred,” Smith said. “At that point an officer-involved shooting happened.”
Smith said after the shooting “a gun,” two officers and a sergeant fired at the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene. No other gun was recovered at the scene.
Meanwhile three officers struggled with the skinny homeless women who seemed to be causing havoc in order to prevent police from arresting the man. Video shows at one point the officer dropped his baton and the woman picks it up. That is the moment police arrested her, and it is not yet known what charges she would face, Smith said.
Smith said that, based on the video recording, it was unclear what the officers told the man before they fired. He said investigators would use audio enhancement software to determine what exactly was said and when.
People gathered around the rukus and started recording the arrest with their smart phones. The video showing the aggravated reactions of the passers towards police, was uploaded to a YouTube just minutes after the shooting.