Autopsy for LAPD officer rules training death an accident

LAPD officer who died in training was beaten, mom claims

A Los Angeles police officer who died of neck injuries suffered during training had been beaten by fellow officers in an exercise meant to "simulate a mob," according to a wrongful-death claim filed against the city by his mother.

LOS ANGELES - The death of an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department who died during a training exercise at the Los Angeles Police Academy in May has been ruled an accident, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office announced Wednesday.

According to the report released by the coroner's office, 32-year-old LAPD officer Houston Tipping died of a spinal cord injury after a grappling exercise. During the exercise, Tipping — and the student — fell to the ground onto his neck which fractured part of his vertebrae and ultimately led to his death. The officer also suffered several other injuries.

"The manner of death was carefully considered and weighed between homicide and accident," the report said. "While deaths 'at the hands of another' are typically deemed homicides, there are exceptions that are deemed accidents."

"These deaths occur during organized sports or organized exercises in which the participants are consensual to committing potentially harmful acts and accept inherent risks,"the coroner added. "Therefore, I have deemed the manner of death in this case to be an accident."

The medical record provided said that Tipping was "possibly dropped" on his head.

According to LAPD, Tipping was acting as a bike instructor at the academy, working through a training scenario that involved grappling with another officer. During the demonstration, Tipping apparently fell, resulting in a spinal cord injury according to the department. Other officers there worked to give Tipping CPR, and called Los Angeles Fire Department rescue crews. Tipping was brought to Los Angeles County USC Medical Center. Despite doctors' efforts, Tipping died from his injuries.

Tipping's mother, Shirley Huffman, alleges her son was "repeatedly struck in the head severely enough that he bled" and that he suffered multiple breaks in his neck, which caused his death.

The claim also alleges the training exercise "had already been questioned" before Tipping was hurt because of injuries suffered by other officers.

She has since filed a wrongful-death claim against the city.

LAPD Los Angeles