LAPD Withholding Autopsy Results In Fatal South LA Police Shooting
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The results of an autopsy on a 25-year-old unarmed man shot by Los Angeles police officers are being withheld while investigators seek out more witnesses, Chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday.
Investigators are "actively seeking witnesses" in the Aug. 11 police shooting of Ezell Ford, Beck said.
In order to make sure they do not "taint" the witness pool, detectives have put a hold on information about the autopsy, he said.
"The witness pool is very shallow at this point," he said. "I want to make sure we can get folks, we can get their unvarnished statements."
The investigation will " go through multiple levels of review," including one by the Office of the Inspector General, Beck said.
Police shot and killed Ford after he allegedly struggled with two officers near his home in South Los Angeles. Relatives said Ford was mentally challenged and was following police orders before he was shot, but police say Ford tried to grab an officer's gun during the struggle.
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