Deadly police shooting in L.A. caught on video

LOS ANGELES - Police fatally shot a homeless man in the Skid Row area during a "brutal" videotaped struggle in which a rookie officer cried out that the man had hold of his gun before three other officers opened fire, the Los Angeles police chief said Monday.

Chief Charlie Beck said video showed the man reaching toward the officer's waistband. The officer's gun was found partly cocked and jammed with a bullet in the chamber and another in the ejection port, indicating a struggle for the weapon. "You can hear the young officer who was primarily engaged in the confrontation saying that 'He has my gun. He has my gun,' " Beck said.

The man was black, as was the rookie officer who was just short of completing his probationary year on the force, police said.

The three officers who fired their weapons were veterans of the beat and had special training to deal with the homeless and mentally ill, police officials said.

Beck's narrative of the shooting, including photos showing the condition of the gun, was rare 24 hours after an officer-involved shooting. It comes amid heightened attention to killings by police officers that have led to protests, some violent, across the country.

Mayor Eric Garcetti said he and the police chief needed to respond quickly to reassure residents that there is a robust investigation into the shooting.

Also Monday, activists called on Gov. Jerry Brown to appoint a special investigator to examine the killing. Earl Ofari Hutchinson, head of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, called on the city Police Commission to hold a hearing on police use of force in Skid Row, which is home to an estimated 1,700 street dwellers, many struggling with mental illness and addiction.

The shooting is being investigated by the police department's inspector general and the Los Angeles district attorney. Among the evidence are two videos shot by bystanders and two shot with cameras worn by a sergeant and another officer who fired their weapons.

"The video is disturbing," police spokesman Andrew Smith said. "It's disturbing any time anyone loses their life."

After the shooting, police are seen drawing their batons and warning a crowd to step back. Several people shouted at the officers, accusing them of going too far.

A memorial sprung up where the shooting occurred. White roses were placed over a tent, blankets, and clothing belonging to the dead man known as "Africa." James Attaway, 48, said the man's name was Shawn, but he nicknamed him because he was from Africa, though he had family in Boston.

Police were investigating a reported robbery when they tried to talk with the man and he refused to obey their commands and started fighting, Beck said.