The California Department of Justice will not pursue criminal charges against two LAPD officers involved in a fatal shooting that drew attention when it was revealed that the initial version of events provided by authorities was not completely accurate.
Officers shot Samuel Soto, 53, on the night of July 26, 2021, after responding to an off-duty officer's call that Soto was bleeding from the neck and carrying a knife on a street in Pico. Union, according to the state Department of Justice. report published on Friday.
But the narrative of the shooting initially provided by Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore simplified a complicated situation. While Moore said a preliminary investigation showed Soto was armed with a knife when he was shot and was taken into custody, body camera footage later released by the department showed he dropped the knife after police first shot him. time and that other officers shot him again. minutes later, while he was unarmed.
“After a thorough investigation, the Department of Justice concluded that criminal charges were not appropriate in this case. However, the Department of Justice recognizes the important lessons that can be learned from this incident,” the department wrote in a statement.
California Lawyer. Gen. Rob Bonta's office determined that it could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers did not reasonably fear for their safety and the safety of others when they shot Soto, making a criminal prosecution unwarranted, according to the court. release. California law requires the Justice Department to investigate cases in which law enforcement kills “unarmed civilians.”
The investigation, which included interviews with officers and witnesses as well as a review of body camera footage, described an already dangerous situation that escalated with the arrival of backup officers and a low-flying police helicopter. and that hindered communication between the authorities.
One of the backup officers who responded, David Voci, fired the last three shots that hit Soto, investigators said. In body camera footage of Voci arriving at the scene, one of the first responding officers can be heard yelling that Soto was no longer armed with a knife. Instead, Soto was holding a black object, later identified as a phone, when he took two steps toward Voci, who shot him.
After the shooting, Voci immediately asked his colleagues if Soto still had the knife.
“No, the knife is there,” an officer responded.
Soto was hospitalized immediately after the shooting and died from his injuries months later.
The day after the shooting, Moore told the Police Commission that officers responding to the intersection of Union Avenue and Pico Boulevard found Soto “holding a knife.”
“The officers gave orders to Mr. Soto. However, he refused to comply and an officer-involved shooting ensued,” Moore told the panel. “Mr. Soto was shot and taken into custody.”
The explanation does not mention that Soto was no longer armed when Voci shot him three times.
Moore later said he was giving the information he had at the time.
The Justice Department report cleared Voci of wrongdoing in the shooting.
“The evidence supports the inference that Officer Voci reasonably, although erroneously, believed that Mr. Soto was armed with a knife and that Mr. Soto posed an imminent threat to his life,” the report says.
The Justice Department also found that a low-flying helicopter “created a loud noise,” making “communication difficult and the scene more chaotic.”
Going forward, the DOJ recommended that the LAPD evaluate whether officers followed departmental policies around Tasers, as “all but one lacked fully charged or functioning devices,” as well as consider working with the Los Angeles Fire Department on ways to improve dispatch communication.
The Justice Department also said there was not enough evidence to bring charges against Officer Eduardo Martinez, who shot Soto as he ran toward him with a knife, before backup arrived, investigators say.
Los Angeles police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
