On Sunday, a California highway patrol officer shot Jesse Dominguez, an aspiring actor, in fear for his safety during their confrontation along the Los Angeles freeway.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office identified the man on Tuesday and reported that Dominguez was strolling along the westbound lanes of Interstate 105 in south Los Angeles county when the incident began.
California Officer Shot Dominguez Amid Confrontation
Vehicles drive on the 110 Freeway towards the Los Angeles skyline at the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange during rush hour traffic in Los Angeles, California on July 16, 2021. - The Metro C Line will eventually merge with the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project as infrastructure modernization and transit construction projects continue at the airport ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics to reduce carbon emissions, traffic, and their impact towards climate change.
A video footage was posted online by a passerby, which showed the officer on top of Dominguez as they fought on the highway and the two grabbed each other.
The CHP said that the officer tried to make Dominguez leave the highway, but he refused and started an argument. Dominguez grabbed the officer's taser in the middle of the fight and used it on the officer.
A shot was fired, and the officer suddenly jumped to his feet as Dominguez went limp on the pavement. The officer shot Dominguez multiple times and kept his gun pointed at Dominguez while he was lying down unconscious.
The CHP said that the officer shot his service weapon in fear for his safety.
Dominguez died in the hospital, and the CHP did not disclose further information about the officer, the number of shots fired, additional details about the altercation, and a specific protocol for handling someone wandering on the freeway.
Rob Bonta, the state attorney general, said that the California department of justice was continuously investigating the incident as required by state law. The justice department did not release any further details about the incident.
Ed Obayashi, a use-of-force expert who examines police shootings for law enforcement agencies in California, warned against jumping to conclusions from the video alone.
The authorities questioned why the officer approached the pedestrian without a backup near him. Obayashi said that the officers were able to close the freeway, so there was probably law enforcement around the highway.
Obayashi added that the investigation would focus on whether Dominguez was armed and why the officer was urged to shoot Dominguez after the fight.
Obayashi said to the investigators that they did not know what kind of threat the officer had perceived and if there was a weapon like a knife or a stun gun.
State senator Steven Bradford, assembly member Mike A Gipson, and council member Tim McOsker, who was in charge of the area, issued a joint statement about the shooting, calling for transparency by the highway patrol
Bradford commented on the video and said that the footage was alarming as it showed an unnecessary use of deadly force.
"The community deserves answers. If the roles were reversed, people would be immediately calling for murder charges. I call on the California highway patrol and the department of justice to be transparent and for the community to be calm and patient during the investigation," he said.
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Dominguez's Mental Health Issues
Dominguez was an aspiring actor who suffered from a mental illness, homelessness, and substance use disorder. The family said that Dominguez was currently suffering from a mental health and drug crisis at the time of the incident.
His stepmother said that Dominguez was not trying to hurt anyone, but the officer shot him multiple times even after the officer had discharged his firearm.
His family said that Dominguez was staying at a sober living facility near the highway, and he had been carrying a taser for protection after threats from other residents.
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