Los Angeles police identify man they shot in head with hand up 'in distress'
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Version 0 of 1. An unarmed man shot in the head and critically wounded by Los Angeles police officers on Friday has been identified after days of uncertainty surrounding another controversial use of police force caught on camera, but questions remained about what prompted him to approach officers in the first place. Walter William DeLeon, 48, had apparently been attempting to flag down officers when they say he raised a towel-covered hand at them. Believing that DeLeon was concealing a weapon, officers fired and DeLeon was struck in the head and was bleeding profusely when he was handcuffed and taken into custody. Related: Los Angeles police shoot unarmed man in head It is LAPD policy to handcuff all suspects, even when they are injured. The incident unfolded during congested rush hour traffic in Los Feliz, a quiet, quickly gentrifying neighborhood in north-east Los Angeles. Police say DeLeon approached a patrol car “in an aggressive manner” with his hands covered by a gray cloth. When the two officers got out of their vehicle, they say DeLeon brought his hands together and pointed them as they remained covered by the cloth. Police say the officers issued commands for DeLeon to “drop the gun”, which he refused, leading them to fire. Multiple witnesses reported hearing three of four shots. On Monday, LAPD spokeswoman Liliana Preciado told the Guardian on Tuesday that “officers believed he was in distress and a possible victim”. LAPD commander Andrew Smith said on Monday that the early stages of the investigation have not surfaced either a disabled vehicle or an injury which might have prompted DeLeon to seek out police assistance. “He didn’t appear to be flagging down the officers because of some sort of emergency,” Smith said. DeLeon’s 18-year-old son William told the Los Angeles Times that his father remained in critical condition as of Monday night and still has not woken up. Related: Los Angeles police seeking witnesses to shooting of unarmed man The LAPD has requested that anyone who witnessed or recorded the incident come forward and provide that information to assist in the ongoing investigation. Graphic video of the shooting’s immediate aftermath had been posted to Twitter by early Saturday, showing officers handcuffing what appears to be an unconscious DeLeon while he bleeds from his head. The names of the officers who fired at DeLeon have not yet been released. |