The Los Angeles Police Department took to Twitter late Sunday to address a fatal shooting of a homeless man on Skid Row earlier in the day, while others used the social media service to express outrage over the incident caught entirely on camera.
“It’s important to #LAPD that the facts related to this and all officer involved shootings are shared with the community,” the department tweeted. “We will continue to keep you updated on this investigation in an effort to continue to enhance transparency between the #LAPD and Community.”
According to the LAPD’s account, the officers involved were responding to a radio call about a robbery, and confronted a suspect “who immediately began fighting” them. The suspect continued to resist arrest even after being tasered, and reached for an officer’s gun while on the ground, which prompted two of the officers to shoot the man five times.
In a viral video of the incident, one of the officers can be heard shouting “gun” before the shots ring out.
Despite the LAPD’s attempt at transparency through social media, many people don’t appear to believe the official explanation and have taken to Twitter to chalk it up as a clear case of police brutality. Read some of the strong reactions below:
@LAPDHQ what a crock … Liar liars you have no credibility
— donttalk2cops (@AcabFtpacab8) March 2, 2015
@latimes if they don’t get indicted….ugh — Stephen Lovejoy (@stevelovejoy66) March 2, 2015
@KTLA I deal with theses loonies on a daily. I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more often. — Giovanni (@grubio_01) March 2, 2015
@NBCLA VIDEO SHOWS POLICE MURDERING, NOT SHOOTING. THEY MURDERED HIM. MURDER. MURDER. MURDER. MURDER. MURDER. MURDER. MURDER. MURDER. MURDER — laaddict (@laaddict1) March 2, 2015
@HaleyCompean @freemansullivan His life mattered #PoliceBrutality Do police have free rein to kill unarmed citizens? — Patricia Jones (@Patzyjo) March 2, 2015
@jasmyne … and it continues. No lessons are ever learned! — Kelly Statik (@kstatik) December 3, 2014
@LAPDHQ you pieces of shit held him down and executed him. Not much more transparent than that. — Jason W. Koneman (@jkoneman) March 2, 2015
@LAPDHQ 6 LAPD cops hold down a MAN AND MURDER HIM IN COLD BLOOD, The Land of the free and the home of the brave… America !
— Marc (@gw0wvl) March 2, 2015
@USATODAY Instead of shooting down homeless, why not bring him food or shelter ?
— angie e. vanhorn (@angieevanhorn) March 2, 2015
@LANow @latimes of course la times is siding with the bums instead of our brave heros — HateMan (@HateManBaby) March 2, 2015
Meanwhile, the LAPD posted the following on its official Twitter account:
An officer involved shooting occurred today when #LAPD Officers responded to a radio call of a robbery in @LAPDCentralArea.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) March 2, 2015
It’s important to #LAPD that the facts related to this and all officer involved shootings are shared with the community.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) March 2, 2015
During the events of the radio call of a robbery, #lapd officers made contact with a suspect who immediately began fighting officers
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) March 2, 2015
#lapd officers attempted to use a #TASER to subdue suspect but suspect continued fighting and resisting. Suspect fell to the ground…
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) March 2, 2015
While on the ground,suspect and #lapd officers struggled over one of officer’s handgun at which point an officer involved shooting occurred
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) March 2, 2015
We will continue to keep you updated on this investigation in an effort to continue to enhance transparency between the #LAPD and Community.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) March 2, 2015