Keenan Anderson: LAPD union responds to criticisms amid man's death following LAPD Taser incident
LOS ANGELES - A union representing Los Angeles police officers issued a rebuttal in the wake of Keenan Anderson's death and the protests that followed.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League issued the following statement, "Minor auto accidents are usually handled with an exchange of information between the drivers and a call to one’s insurance carrier. On the other hand, when an individual who is high on cocaine is in an accident, tries to open the car door of an innocent driver, and then flees the scene by running into traffic, police officers must act. We demand that the Chief of Police release the missing 7-minutes of body-worn camera video (6:05 mark of Critical Incident Video) that will capture the entire episode with Mr. Anderson. We believe the missing video will confirm that Mr. Anderson was the one who escalated this tragic incident that his family and Mr. Crump are now trying to shamelessly profit from."
In addition to Anderson's death, two other suspects have died after interactions with police during the first week of the month. Their deaths have prompted calls from city leaders and protesters to bring in mental health clinicians to the scene.
"We, the union, stand behind all of our officers involved in all three incidents that they did everything correctly," said Jamie McBride, director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League.
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McBride weighed in on Anderson's death, who received about six shocks from a Taser used by an LAPD officer.
"It wasn't the officer who tried to flee and then tried to carjack an innocent bystanders car. That was not the officer. That was Mr. Anderson who did that. The officer just reacted to Mr. Anderson's actions," McBride said.
Takar Smith and Oscar Leon Sanchez have also died after encounters with LAPD since Jan. 2. Police fatally shot Smith on Jan. 2 and Sanchez on Jan. 3.
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