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Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Police Commission to Rule on Fatal LAPD Shooting of Teen During ‘Running Gun Battle’ in Watts

The Los Angeles Police Commission is expected to decide Tuesday whether officers were justified in fatally shooting an 18-year-old during what police described as a “running gun battle” in a Watts housing project in which one officer was shot and wounded.

Richard Risher died on a sidewalk last summer in Nickerson Gardens, creating tension in a housing project that has a complicated history with the police. Although the LAPD said Risher shot an officer in the arm — and shared a photo of the handgun found lying on some leaves — word that police had killed a young black man still angered many in the neighborhood.

The July 25 killing came after a series of deadly shootings around the country — both by and against police — that flared an already-tense debate over how officers use force, particularly against African Americans. Local activists turned Risher’s name into a hashtag they spread on social media. His mother repeatedly showed up to the commission’s weekly meetings, demanding justice for her son.

The events leading up to the deadly encounter began about 11 p.m., when officers patrolling the housing project saw a group of people near 111th and Antwerp streets, the LAPD has said.

Read the full story on LATimes.com



from KTLA http://ift.tt/2tgYvnc

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