On Saturday, December 19 by the Harbor area in Los Angeles, there was another officer involved shooting.
Around 8 a.m. that morning, some residents of the area witnessed a man throwing glass bottles at an apartment complex on the 1600 block of West 207th Street.
A few of the residents tried to stop the suspect from vandalizing the building and in response, the suspect physically fought the residents off. Soon after, two Harbor area patrol officers were called to the scene.
According to officials, as the officers approached the suspect, he swung at one of the officers, hitting him in the face. The officers then tried to detain and arrest the suspect, but the suspect continued to resist the arrest by punching and kicking them.
At one point the suspect reached for an officer’s gun, but failed. The officers eventually cuffed and transported him to the Harbor UCLA Medical Center for treatment. The suspect was handcuffed to a stretcher.
After the suspect was examined and cleared to be transported to jail, two Southeast Area officers, Alejandro Downey and Joseph Adragna, unlocked the cuffs from the gurney so that they could cuff him behind his back and take him to jail.
As the cuffs became unlocked, the suspect fought the officers by punching and kicking. At one point, the suspect grabbed a heavy, steel stool and hit Downey. Then the suspect continued to fight, as the officers were trying to taser him.
Eventually, Adragna fell to the ground, which led to the suspect reaching for his gun. Downey continued to try and taser the suspect, but the suspect wouldn’t stop fighting.
Being seen as a threat now, Downey shot one round of his handgun and struck the suspect. The suspect was treated right away from the emergency staff, but he died soon after.
Picture of Ruben Herrera
The suspect was identified as Ruben Herrera, 26. Ruben’s mother, Graciel Herrera, claimed that he had a bipolar disorder. Graciel also believes that the officers handled the situation improperly and claimed that the officers are making up a story to protect themselves. “They didn’t have to kill my son. My son was only 26. Regardless of whatever they say, they shouldn’t have taken his life like that,” she said.
According to the report, LAPD’s specialized Force Investigation Division has begun interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence. When the investigation is complete, the Chief of Police and the Board of Police Commissioners will determine if any of the officers violated conduct policy and they will be reviewed to see if the officers violated any California criminal statutes.
The LA Times reported that Herrera was the 20th person shot and killed by an LAPD officer, and the 35th person that has been shot in 2015.
No further information has been given and the investigation is ongoing.
