The Los Angeles Police Department and an independent review board have reportedly cleared two LAPD officers in the 2014 shooting death of Ezell Ford, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times:
The LAPD has found that two officers were justified in shooting Ezell Ford in South L.A. last year http://t.co/dZm4d9u7Yf
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) June 6, 2015
Protesters took to the streets shortly after Ford’s death, which came just days after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., claiming Ford was shot in the back while obeying the officers’ commands. Tonight’s report, however, backs up claims made immediately following the incident that the shooting happened as Ford struggled for one of the cop’s gun:
BIG-> LAPD clears officers in fatal shooting of Ezell Ford, sources say. LAPD says Ford struggled for officer's gun http://t.co/rtNuEIu7mP
— Shelby Grad (@shelbygrad) June 6, 2015
More on Ezell Ford investigation by LAPD:
–Tests found Ford's DNA on officer's weapon, bolstering ideas that there was struggle for gun— Shelby Grad (@shelbygrad) June 6, 2015
Ford and one of the officers had scratches on their hands, and the holster of officer's gun was scratched as well. http://t.co/nGgZeCBJlu
— Shelby Grad (@shelbygrad) June 6, 2015
But although both the LAPD and this independent watchdog have determined that the shooting was justified, that’s just not good enough for some tonight:
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The Ezell Ford shooting case ends in the usual way – http://t.co/OoBxO8dfCR
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) June 6, 2015
https://twitter.com/ApratimGhosh/status/606999910487957504
https://twitter.com/aheram/status/606999839927189504
https://twitter.com/ApratimGhosh/status/606999645668012032
#PD after PD is changing the rules for what #wrong is. #EzellFord's life mattered. Shame on #LAPD, once again. #BlackLivesMatter
— Rima Regas, Blog#42 (@Rima_Regas) June 6, 2015
URGENT: Chief Beck of LAPD just cleared Villegas and Wampler…officers who murdered Ezell Ford!
— Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) June 6, 2015
https://twitter.com/c_tonan/status/607004044930875392
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Related:
Demonstrators march in L.A. streets to protest shooting death of #EzellFord
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