LAPD Releases Footage of Incidents Leading to Calls for Police Review

LAPD officials released security footage showing officers subduing a man, Jose Carlos Hoyos-Munoz, before his death in a San Fernando Valley jail cell. This incident, along with another recent case, led Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to call for an independent review of police actions involving people in mental distress.

A police spokesperson explained that officers at Van Nuys Regional Jail used force on Hoyos-Munoz after he was uncooperative and spat on them. The footage revealed officers repeatedly approaching Hoyos-Munoz after erratic behavior in his cell on July 15. He was shown being struck while restrained and handcuffed.

LAPD placed a hood over Hoyos-Munoz’s head after being spat on and left him prone with his hands behind his back. Later, officers found him unconscious and not breathing, and he was declared dead.

Following the release of videos, including another incident in Harvard Heights, Mayor Bass described them as tough to watch. She pointed out a chronic lack of mental health services, leading to increased contacts between law enforcement and individuals in crisis. Bass stated that officers aren’t trained to handle mental health crises effectively and cited the “tragic deaths” as examples of outcomes when people do not receive needed care.

Bass announced an executive order for an independent evaluation of officer-related deaths and injuries, focusing on those involving people in crisis. The review aims to identify systemic issues, improve policies and training, and enhance safety for the public and officers.

The call leading to Hoyos-Munoz’s detention was made on July 13. Officers were summoned to his family’s home on Delco Avenue in Chatsworth, where Hoyos-Munoz allegedly stabbed family members, causing minor injuries. After refusing to leave, SWAT officers used tear gas to arrest him. He was later booked into the Valley jail.

Body camera footage showed Hoyos-Munoz appearing calm when arriving at the facility. However, officers used force multiple times while detaining him for his safety, which included dragging him and using knee strikes. When Hoyos-Munoz climbed onto a toilet in his cell, officers placed him in a prone position on the bunk, with one placing his knee on his shoulder blades.

Though officers initially reported he was breathing, he was later found unconscious and not breathing. Three jail guards sustained minor injuries. The Medical Examiner has not yet determined a cause or manner of death. The incident will also be reviewed by the state’s In-Custody Death Review Division.

Additional footage showed events leading to the police shooting of Alejandro Garcia. Officers responded to reports of Garcia vandalizing cars with a baseball bat. Officers confronted Garcia under the 10 Freeway overpass, ordering him to drop the bat. He did not comply and was shot when he approached officers while grabbing the bat.

This footage seemed to contradict an earlier LAPD news release stating Garcia was swinging the bat when shot. The department has not named the officers involved in the shooting.