California's Department of Justice will not pursue criminal charges against a California Highway Patrol officer who fatally shot a man on Interstate 105, finding insufficient evidence to prosecute.
The shooting occurred on November 19, 2023, when a CHP officer responded to a report of a pedestrian walking in traffic lanes on westbound I-105 near the Wilmington Avenue offramp in Los Angeles. When asked to put down his bags and show his hands, the man did not comply and continued walking away. As the officer attempted to handcuff him, a fight broke out and the man shocked the officer with a stun gun, according to the agency. The officer then shot and killed him.
The Department of Justice investigated under Assembly Bill 1506, which requires the state to review all officer-involved shootings resulting in civilian deaths. "The evidence does not show, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer involved acted without the intent to defend himself and others from what he reasonably believed to be imminent death or serious bodily injury," the department said in its report.
The investigation also produced two recommendations. The California Highway Patrol should provide additional training on operational safety tactics, including use of time, distance and cover when attempting to detain non-compliant individuals alone, and training on the legal standard for when deadly force is authorized under Penal Code section 835a.