Los Angeles police officers dressed in riot gear took to the streets Sunday night after the fatal shooting of 18-year old Carnell “CJ” Snell, Jr. on Saturday, who was the third black man shot by police in Southern California in just five days.
Another man was shot by LAPD in the same area on Sunday, raising that total to four in six days.
The other shooting deaths took place in Pasadena and in El Cajon last week, cities in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties, which drew several protests.
According to ABC7, the shooting on Saturday took place after LAPD cops observed a car with paper license plates that “failed to yield” and assumed it was stolen.
A chase ensued.
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Snell and another man reportedly exited the vehicle and ran in different directions
According to an LAPD press release, officers focused on Snell and chased him to the back of a home in a neighborhood close to where he lived and shot him up to five times according to some reports.
LAPD claimed Snell was armed with a gun that they recovered “at the scene” when they shot him in the back five times.
Carnell “CJ” Snell Jr. was fatally shot by police after they pursued a car with paper license plates, assuming it had been stolen. LAPD claimed Snell had a gun, although witnesses say he was unarmed with his hands up at the time he was shot.
However, witnesses say that’s a lie and that the gun was dumped by one of the men before cops shot Snell.
LAPD still hasn’t confirmed if the car was stolen.
Hours after the news of Snell’s death broke, protestors began organizing protests near 106th St. and Western Avenue where the shooting death occurred.
Photo by Erica Nochlin of CBSLA.
CBSLA’s Erica Nochlin tweeted that LAPD cops dressed in riot gear told protestors, “you have three minutes to clear this area or you’re subject to arrest.”
By 11 p.m., four people were subsequently arrested for “suspicion of failure to disperse,” according to LATimes.
Neighbors in the area described rising tensions as police trolled the neighborhood where Snell was killed in patrol cars and hovered overhead in a helicopter.
Protestors also gathered at the residence of Mayor Eric Garcetti, who urged protestors to wait for “the completion of a thorough and proper investigation.”
City workers arrived to clean Mayor Garcetti’s home after it had apparently been egged.
City workers clean eggs from Mayor Eric Garcetti’s home after asking protestors to wait for “the completion of a thorough and proper investigation.”
“We don’t want to see a cover-up. We don’t want to see a whitewash,” said Earl Ofari Hutchinson of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable
“We have a family that’s grieving. We have a community that’s grieving.”
Neighbors described Snell as a respectful young man who was always dancing.
Carnell’s mother arrived at the scene of the shooting of her son and begged police to let her see him.
“We’re going to try to get you down there, but that won’t happen for a little bit,” said an unidentified officer at the scene.
His teacher Tiffany Hobbs said he was trying and that he “made her day everyday.”
Neighbors at the scene complained no medical emergency team was called in the minutes after Carnell had been shot.
The shooting death of Carnell came on the heels of two other fatal police-involve shootings.
Reginald Thomas
Last Tuesday, PINAC’s Carlos Miller reported about Reginald Thomas, who was tasered and beaten to death after calling Pasedena cops for help while having a bipolar episode.
Reginald Thomas called police for help during a bipolar episode; police showed up and killed him.
When police arrived to administer help, Thomas refused to drop a knife and a fire extinguisher he was holding, which prompted them beat him with their batons and kick him several times after they tasered him twice.
Thomas died from the beating.
“He just wanted help. He didn’t want to die,” Shainie Lindsay, the mother of his four children told KTLA.
“He was a good father, and they didn’t have to kill him.”
Alfred Olango
PINAC also reported about the fatal shooting of Alfred Olango in El Cajon California.
Alfred Olango
Olango was having a seizure when his sister called police for help.
When El Cajon cops arrived, Olango pleaded, “don’t shoot me.”
After police shot him for holding an electronic vapor device, he was taken to the hospital where he died.
“I called you to help me but you killed my brother,” cried Olango’s sister.
“Why couldn’t you guys tase him? Why why why why?”
The shooting death of Olango sparked five straight days of protest in the streets of the San Diego suburb.
The ACLU released a statement, “there are disturbing reports from a number of witnesses that police officers confiscated cell phones from people who witnessed the shooting.”
Richard Gonsalves–the cop who shot Olango–has been sued twice by fellow female cops, who say he perpetually texted pictures of his genitals and that his “vile” behavior continued after the first lawsuit was settled, which prompted a second.
Gonsalves was never fired.
Fatal Police-Involved Shooting in Southern Los Angeles
Last night, Matt Hamilton of LATimes reported about yet another fatal police-involved shooting of a man in Southern Los Angeles.
Details about the victim’s identity have not yet been released.
Cops from LAPD’s gang unit reportedly responded to a call of a man with a gun, but initially didn’t find anyone who matched the description given for the suspect.
As officers began leaving, they observed to men they described as being between the ages of 18-22; one of them matched the description.
Police ended up shooting the man, who later died at the hospital.
The other man was taken into custody. His identity has not yet been released.
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