A day after the Los Angeles Police Commission concluded that a police officer was justified when he fatally shot a drunk, knife-wielding man on a busy street corner, the oversight body released a detailed report that further elaborated on its decision.
The 21-page report offers details of the killing of Manuel Jamines, which triggered days of unrest and rioting in the Westlake neighborhood where the shooting occurred. It includes accounts of the slaying from three officers who went to the scene in response to a public-disturbance call, as well as several eyewitnesses.
Much of the report focuses on Officer Frank Hernandez, who shot Jamines. Hernandez told investigators that as he encountered Jamines he "moved onto the sidewalk, getting to within 10 feet of [Jamines], and yelled, "Drop the knife, drop the knife right now or I'm going to shoot you." According to [Hernandez], [Jamines] stopped, turned toward [Hernandez] and stated in Spanish, "Kill me, [expletive]. Kill me. I want to die, [expletive]. Kill me. Kill me."
