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The Los Angeles Police Department has had a 300 percent increase in shootings of suspects with known mental illnesses and a 60 percent increase in all shootings against suspects in 2015 according to a report released by the department.
The report, released Tuesday, said that 48 suspects were shot by police and 38 of them were killed by police fire. Of those 38, eight were Black and 22 were Lations.
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The report, released Tuesday, said that 48 suspects were shot by police and 38 of them were killed by police fire. Of those 38, eight were Black and 22 were Lations. One third of all the ones killed were mentally ill.
The city’s police seems to be more likely to shoot minorities. The Los Angeles Times said 9 percent of the city’s population are Black and 48 percent are Latino.
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LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said the report would help develop the department's methods for preserving life. He said “this report represents the LAPD’s steadfast commitment to providing detailed information on the Department’s uses of force.”
Part of those effort is increasing the use of electric shock weapons known as Tasers, which are considered safe. The report says the LAPD has 3,305 Tasers and has requested funding for 4,400 more. However, those weapons could also be lethal in some cases.
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The report comes as Los Angeles residents mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Charly “Africa” Keunang, a homeless man shot six times by police. Keunang had spent time in a mental institution.
According to Fusion website, a recent report said the mentally ill are 16 times more likely than their mentally well counterparts to be killed by police across the United States.
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