Los Angeles police officers get ready for a day patrolling the streets. While most overall crime is down this year, shootings by LAPD officers are up 22%.
Courtesy photo
Wave Wire Services
LOS ANGELES — Homicides in Los Angeles have dropped nearly 28% so far this year and shooting victims are down 9%, but officer-involved shootings have increased, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell reported Aug, 26.
Person and property crimes were down nearly 11% for the four week period from July 27 through Aug. 23 compared to the previous four week period, McDonnell told the Board of Police Commissioners. The chief noted that crimes such as aggravated assaults and robberies dropped by 8% and property crimes such as burglary and motor vehicle theft decreased by 12%.
He reported homicides decreased year-to-date by 27.9%, or 57 fewer murders compared to the same period in 2024, and victims shot citywide dropped by 9%, also within that same time frame.
While crime is down, officers are shooting at more suspects, the chief said.
As of Aug. 18, officer-involved shootings stood at 27 compared to 19 in 2024. Of those 27, officers have killed 11 individuals, an increase of about 22.2% compared to 9 fatalities in 2024, LAPD data showed.
In the last six days, LAPD reported another three police shootings, bringing the total of officer-involved shootings to 30 so far this year.
“I think what we’re seeing is an uptick on the willingness of criminals within the community to assault officers head-on, and officers then respond with what they have to do to be able to control it,” McDonnell told the commissioners.
“When I look at this, I think we always want to say we want to reduce officer-involved shootings and use of force overall, but looking very closely at these, we’ve seen an uptick in the willingness to assault officers with firearms,” McDonnell added.
On Aug. 21, Rampart Division officers responded to a radio call of “assault with a deadly weapon shots fired” at Vendome Street and Beverly Boulevard. Police said officers observed and later identified 20-year-old Guillermo Calel-Acabel inside a gray van in possession of a firearm.
Police shot at Calel-Acabel — who was not struck — and ordered him out of the vehicle before taking him into custody, according to the chief. He was transported by Los Angeles Fire Department personnel to a local hospital and treated for metal fragments embedded in the top of his head. The LAPD said officers recovered a loaded black semi-automatic 9-millimeter handgun from the scene.
The following day, Hollenbeck Division officers responded to a call for assault with a deadly weapon at 5400 block of Monterey Road. The suspect, 22-year-old Bryan Guzman, allegedly threatened a person with a knife.
When officers attempted to take Guzman into custody, he produced a knife, police said. Officers shot Guzman and he fell to the ground. According to the LAPD, officers rendered aid until LAFD personnel arrived and transported Guzman to a local hospital. Police said officers recovered a 12-inch knife at the scene.
Southwest Division officers responded to a call for an assault with a deadly weapon Aug. 23 at a residence at 2336 West 23rd St., the chief said.
A 90-year-old man was found down in front of the house. The suspect, identified as Andrew Smith, came out and fired at the officers, and they shot back, according to McDonnell.
“Smith retreated out of sight into the residence, and officers immediately established a perimeter, requesting assistance from Metropolitan Division Special Weapons and Tactics,” McDonnell said. “SWAT personnel, along with Los Angeles Fire Department’s Tactical Emergency Medical Support conducted a rescue operation and moved the victim to safety.”
Fire department personnel pronounced the victim dead from apparent stab wounds, McDonnell said.
Smith was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital, where he was treated for self-inflicted stab wounds and lacerations, the chief said. He remains in critical but stable condition, according to McDonnell.
“Smith was not struck by gunfire, no officers or other community members were injured as a result of this incident,” McDonnell said. “A loaded 9-millimeter assault rifle-style semi automatic pistol, three high-capacity magazines, a large folding knife and two large fixed blade knives were recovered from inside the residence and booked as evidence.”
All three officer-involved shootings were under investigation.
The commissioners expressed concern over the increase in police shootings, and emphasized the department is waiting on a report from the Inspector General on this issue.
Commissioner Rasha Gerges Shields said, “I’m particularly interested, as we’re talking about this issue, how the department is training officers to use less-lethal weapons earlier in a situation where someone is potentially armed with a knife or an edged weapon, so that in hopes of actually trying to prevent it from escalating to a point of legal use of force.”
