In 2023, LAPD officers have already opened fire 25 times, including 21 shootings that led to nine fatalities, marking a significant increase from prior years. The latest incident involved the police shooting a man holding a replica rifle in Boyle Heights. This surge in shootings is attributed to more armed suspects and a rise in calls for service. Officers’ increased use of intermediate weapons aims to de-escalate situations but reflects a challenging environment. There’s been a notable rise in both assaults on officers and serious incidents involving weapons, complicating threat assessment in the field.
LAPD officers have fired 25 times in 2023, nearly matching the total for all of 2024 in less than seven months. This year, officers shot 21 people, killing nine, marking the highest mid-year total since 2018.
Chief Jim McDonnell highlighted that this increase in police shootings correlates with encounters involving more armed suspects, emphasizing challenges in assessing threats, whether from real firearms or replicas.
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