The Los Angeles Police Department released surveillance video on Tuesday that appeared to show a man holding a gun moments before being fatally shot by officers.
Eighteen-year-old Carnell Snell Jr. was shot and killed by LAPD officers after a short pursuit at about 1 p.m. on Sunday. The recently released video shows Snell running to the front of a strip mall before pulling what appears to be a handgun from his waistband and then standing behind an SUV.
He then puts the gun back into his pants and runs down a path of the strip mall while being chased by two officers. Snell then allegedly then entered into a driveway of a home nearby, where the pursuit ended.
“While holding the handgun in his left hand, he turned in the direction of pursuing officers, at which time an officer-involved shooting occurred,” LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said. “A total of six rounds were fired and Carnell Snell was sent to the pavement.”
Snell, who was struck by two rounds, was pronounced dead at the scene. He did not fire during the incident, and police recovered a fully loaded handgun at the scene.
The video does not show the actual shooting, however. According to Beck, the police involved in the shooting do not yet have body-worn cameras.
Investigators will try to determine whether deadly force was necessary, the LAPD said in a statement. The district attorney’s office will also review the incident to see if any criminal charges will be warranted.
Protests broke out in downtown Los Angels following the weekend shooting. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Commission had to go into temporary recess and protesters interrupted a meeting.
According to to the LAPD, Beck released the video at his own discretion.
“While the Los Angeles Police Department has a long-standing practice of not releasing video evidence pending administrative and criminal investigations, the chief is exercising his discretion to release video in the interest of public safety,” the department posted along with the video on YouTube.
Snell was the third man to die in a police-involved incident over the last five days. Last week, Alfred Olango was fatally shot in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon. On Friday, Reginald Thomas died after being shot with a taser by police in Pasadena.
