The Los Angeles Police Department has released footage from two fatal incidents in July, including the death of a man who was restrained by officers inside a San Fernando Valley jail and a separate police shooting involving a man carrying a baseball bat.
The videos were made public on Friday as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced plans for an independent review of officer-involved deaths and serious injuries, with particular attention to encounters involving people who may be experiencing mental health crises.
Man dies after restraint in Valley jail
Jose Carlos Hoyos-Munoz was arrested on July 13 after police responded to a standoff at a home in Chatsworth. He was accused of attacking two family members and was taken to hospital after being exposed to chemical agents used during the operation.
He was later transferred to the Valley Jail Section in Van Nuys, where officers said he became combative during the booking process. Newly released footage shows officers using physical force to restrain him as they attempted to fingerprint him.
Police said Hoyos-Munoz spat at officers and tried to bite them, prompting the use of a spit hood. He was placed in a holding cell, where officers later returned after he climbed on top of a toilet.
Officers moved him on to a jail bed and restrained him face down. The LAPD said several welfare checks followed and that he appeared to be breathing for about 20 minutes before he was found unconscious and not breathing.
Paramedics were called, but Hoyos-Munoz was pronounced dead at the scene. Three detention officers suffered contusions and minor cuts during the incident and were treated at hospital before being released, according to police.
The LAPD’s Force Investigation Division is examining the circumstances of the death. The department has described the inquiry as preliminary and ongoing.
Fatal shooting after reports of man with bat
The second video shows the final moments of Alejandro Luis Garcia, who was shot by officers in central Los Angeles on July 29.
Officers had been sent to a petrol station near Normandie Avenue and Washington Boulevard after a 911 caller reported that a man with a metal bat had smashed vehicle windows and tried to strike people.
Police located Garcia beneath the Interstate 10 overpass. Footage shows officers repeatedly ordering him to drop the bat as he moved towards them. Officers then opened fire after police said he continued advancing while holding the weapon.
Garcia was struck, fell to the ground and dropped the bat. Officers administered first aid before he was taken to hospital, where he died.
The shooting is also under investigation by the LAPD’s Force Investigation Division. No officers or members of the public were reported injured in the incident.
Ms Bass said the deaths highlighted the risks when people in behavioural or mental health crisis come into contact with law enforcement.
She said the planned independent evaluation would examine police policies, training, tactics, supervision and accountability systems. The mayor also said she intended to promote civilian crisis-response and co-response services for people in crisis who had not displayed violent behaviour.
Both investigations remain ongoing.
