Group Meets With DA To Seek Prosecution Of Officers Who Killed Ezell Ford
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Members of the group "Black Lives Matter" met with Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey on Friday to seek prosecution of two police officers who shot and killed Ezell Ford in August.
After speaking with Lacey at the Criminal Courts Building in downtown LA on Friday afternoon, members of the group held a media briefing outside.
"We are looking to her to set the model, to set the standard of a different approach, and a different way of investigating and prosecuting these crimes," said Black Lives Matter member Nana Gyamfi.
Ford's family said he was mentally ill, but Los Angeles police said he was reaching for an officer's gun when he was shot.
Members of Black Lives Matter are calling for immediate action, as did a protester at a meeting miles away at a Baptist church in South Los Angeles where Lacey was on hand later Friday to explain how her office handles these types of investigations.
"It seems to me as a constitutional officer, as a district attorney, it is not up to me to prejudge any case," Lacey said, "but to wait until the evidence is presented in the calm of the day."
Friday's meeting at the Praises of Zion Baptist Church, on San Pedro Avenue, was set up to better relationships as the LAPD teams up with the faith-based community to reach out to the public.
LAPD Capt. George Rodriguez, who works in the Newton area where Ford was shot and killed, told KCAL9's Jasmine Viel how important that teamwork is.
"We need their support, the community support, we need their buy-in, we need their trust in order for us to me more effective," Rodriguez said.
Viel reported that it will still be several months before the LAPD investigation of Ford's death is completed and the findings turned over to Lacey's office.
