Ezell Ford, a 25-year-old
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
man, died from multiple gunshot wounds after being shot by
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
(LAPD) officers in
Florence, Los Angeles
Florence is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. The neighborhood, part of the South Los Angeles region, is home to over 46,000 residents.[California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...]
on August 11, 2014.
In the weeks and months that followed, Ford's shooting triggered multiple demonstrations
[ and a lawsuit by Ford's family claiming $75 million in damages.]
The officers and eyewitnesses offered competing accounts of the events surrounding the shooting,[ and an investigation by the LAPD's watchdog unit, ]Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners
The Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, also commonly known as the Los Angeles Police Commission, is a five-member body of civilian-only, appointed officials which oversees the Los Angeles Police Department.
Organization
The board is made ...
, concluded in June 2015 that one officer had been justified in the shooting, while the other officer was unjustified, had acted outside of LAPD policy, and had violated Ford's civil rights by detaining him.[
]
Backgrounds
Ezell Ford
Ezell Earl Ford[ (October 14, 1988August 11, 2014) was the oldest of seven children.][ At the time of his birth his parents, Tritobia and Edsell, were 16 and 17 years old respectively.][ His parents said in August 2014 they had been living in the same neighborhood for 15 years.][ Ford attended 66th Street Elementary, Marcus Garvey Elementary, Bethune Middle School, and ]Verbum Dei High School
Verbum Dei Jesuit High School, also known as the Verb, is a private Catholic Church, Catholic all-boys college preparatory school sponsored by the Society of Jesus in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1962 by the Divine Word Missionaries ...
, which he left before completing a full term. As a child he played basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, and wanted to play professionally and to study medicine.[ In his youth Ford suffered from ]asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...
and difficulty breathing.[
In September 2007 Ford was arrested on ]felony
A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resu ...
charges of carrying a loaded firearm and possession
Possession may refer to:
Law
* Dependent territory, an area of land over which another country exercises sovereignty, but which does not have the full right of participation in that country's governance
* Drug possession, a crime
* Ownership
* ...
of marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
with intent to sell. He argued the marijuana was for personal use, and in January 2008 the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor
A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than adm ...
, for which he paid a small fine. He pleaded guilty to the firearm charge and was sentenced to 90 days in jail. In 2008 Ford was shot in the leg in a gang-related incident. A neighbor said that Ford was an innocent bystander in the shooting, and that his mental illness became more evident from then on. Ford also had a prior conviction for trespassing.[
After his death his parents said their son had been diagnosed with depression, ]bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
and schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...
, and that everybody in the neighborhood, as well as police, were aware of this.[ They recalled that Ford had become more introverted and melancholy around the age of 18,][ and took medication that made him less active.][
Ashanti Harrison, a neighbor, said he had grown up with Ford, who "did not bother nobody. He was kind of slow. The whole neighborhood took care of him."][ Harrison also described Ford as having "the mental capacity of an 8-year-old", while another neighbor said "He had a mind of a 10-year-old".][ Another neighbor said while Ford "wasn't all there, he was there enough to follow orders and know to stop when the police tell him to stop."][ Leroy Hill, who described himself as an eyewitness to the shooting, and Harrison both said Ford was not involved in gangs.][ A neighbor said the officers who shot Ford had harassed him in the past, including the day before the shooting.][
]
Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas
The officers involved in the shooting were named on August 28 as Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas, both gang enforcement officers in the LAPD's Newton Division.[ Wampler had been on the force for twelve years, Villegas for eight.] Wampler is Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...
and Villegas is Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
.[ The two men had been working together in the Newton Division for five months.]
Wampler had previously arrested Ford on marijuana possession charges in 2008. He was also one of two officers accused in a 2011 lawsuit of assaulting and pepper spray
Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, cr ...
ing members of a South Los Angeles family in 2009.[ A settlement was reached in the case in 2012 but details were not disclosed in court records.][
]
Shooting
LAPD accounts
According to LAPD commander Andy Smith in August 2014, Wampler and Villegas saw Ford walking on the sidewalk at 65th Street and left their vehicle.[ Wampler said he knew Ford, but did not recognize him at the time.][ The two officers confronted Ford as part of an "investigative stop" at around 8:20p.m.][ They told investigators that though they carried a ]Taser
A taser is an electroshock weapon used to incapacitate people, allowing them to be approached and handled in an unresisting and thus safe manner. It is sold by Axon, formerly TASER International. It fires two small barbed darts intended to ...
in the patrol car, neither took it out, and Villegas instead drew his gun. Villegas said he believed Ford may have been armed because he was in "a gang area". Villegas soon put the gun away and repositioned himself as the "cover" officer while Wampler approached Ford.[ After the release of Ford's autopsy, LAPD chief ]Charlie Beck
Charles Lloyd Beck (born June 27, 1953) is a retired police officer, formerly serving as the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and subsequently as the Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. A veteran of the department w ...
said Ford walked away after Wampler and Villegas left their vehicle to speak to him.[ An earlier press release said Ford looked towards the officers but kept walking and "made suspicious movements, including attempting to conceal his hands".][ According to Beck, Wampler and Villegas told detectives Ford concealed his hands as they attempted to stop him.] According to Beck's account the officers then followed Ford to a driveway where he crouched between a car and some bushes.[ Wampler and Villegas said they believed Ford was trying to dispose of drugs that were in his possession, which Wampler felt was sufficient evidence to arrest him. No drugs were found in the vicinity, however.][
Smith said as they were walking towards him Ford "whirled around and basically attacked the lead officer."][ Wampler told investigators he had approached Ford from behind and pulled back his shoulder with the intention of handcuffing him.][ The officers and an LAPD spokesman said in August 2014 that Ford had "tackled" one of the officers][ and that a struggle ensued after Ford tried to remove the officer's handgun from its holster.][ Smith said Ford "grabbed the officer around the waist, threw him to the ground and was laying on top of the officer" when he was shot.][ In Beck's account, Wampler and Villegas told detectives that Ford had been on top of one of the officers and reaching for the officer's gun when they both opened fire.][ Wampler told investigators he had been tackled by Ford and had landed on top of Ford, but Ford rolled over immediately and took the top position. Villegas responded by pushing his knee into Ford's back and attempting to handcuff him. Wampler said he then felt Ford grasping at his holstered pistol. Villegas said he feared for his life and that of his partner and shot Ford in the arm, then at Wampler's urging fired a second round into Ford's side. Wampler said Ford continued to resist, causing him to retrieve his backup gun and used it to reach around Ford and shoot him in the back.][ Smith said Ford had been on the ground when he was shot, and said "This was an extremely rapidly unfolding event. Basically the fight was on."][
After the shooting, Wampler handcuffed Ford. Wampler told investigators a crowd appeared, including one man who appeared angry but left after Wampler pointed his gun at him. Thirteen seconds elapsed from the time that Wampler and Villegas left their vehicle to the first shot.][ LAPD lieutenant Ellis Imaizumi said the officers sustained minor abrasions that did not require hospitalization. An LAPD news release said neither had been injured.][ Smith said Ford had been unarmed.][
]
Other accounts
Two witnesses disputed the officers' claim that Ford had concealed his hands, and said that he had raised his hands as the officers left their vehicle. They also said that Ford did not tackle an officer, and was instead tackled to the ground by one of the officers.[ Tritobia Ford said her son was lying on the ground and complying with officers' orders when he was shot.][ Other family members supported her account, including a man who identified himself as Ford's cousin and said: ]They laid him out and for whatever reason, they shot him in the back, knowing mentally, he has complications. Every officer in this area, from the Newton Division, knows that — that this child has mental problems. The excessive force ... there was no purpose for it. The multiple shootings in the back while he's laying down? No. Then when the mom comes, they don't try to console her ... they pull the billy club
A baton (also known as a truncheon or nightstick) is a roughly cylindrical club made of wood, rubber, plastic, or metal. It is carried as a compliance tool and defensive weapon by law-enforcement officers, correctional staff, security guards ...
s out.
Harrison, who said he saw the shooting from a second-story window, said Ford had put his hands in the air when he was tackled to the ground and shot three times.[ Harrison said that while on the ground Ford "was struggling like he didn't want anyone on top of him, didn't want anyone holding him down".][ Two women who were in the home adjacent to the driveway said Ford had not been on top of one of the officers, and had instead been face-down with the officer on top of him.][ Dorene Henderson, a friend of the Ford family, said she heard someone yell "Get down, get down." She said she heard a pop and neighbors telling officers "He's got mental problems."] Hill said "I was sitting across the street when it happened ... The cops jumped out of the car and rushed him over here into this corner. They had him in the corner and were beating him, busted him up, for what reason I don't know he didn't do nothing." Hill said he heard an officer say "Shoot him", followed by three gunshots, while Ford was on the ground.[ Ina Smalls, who lives across the street from Ford, said she ran outside after hearing gunshots and saw Ford "on the ground, shot dead, handcuffed on his stomach". Smalls said she did not believe that Ford had tried to take the officer's gun.] Fred Sayre, Ford's parents' attorney, said none of the witnesses he had spoken to could decisively say whether Ford grabbed for the officer's gun.[
]
Events immediately following the shooting
Ford was taken to California Hospital Medical Center
Dignity Health-California Hospital Medical Center is located in the South Park district of downtown Los Angeles, California at 1401 S. Grand Avenue. The 318-bed community hospital has been serving downtown and its neighboring communities for well ...
,[ where he underwent surgery,] and was pronounced dead at 10:10p.m.[ Tritobia Ford said police had refused to inform her where her son was hospitalized.][ Police initially offered little information about the shooting,] and did not initially release Ford's name or specify why they stopped him.[ Imaizumi said police had declined to release information due to a "gathering" at the scene.][
]
Response
Comparisons to Michael Brown
Local civil rights leaders and some on social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
drew comparisons between Ford and the shooting of Michael Brown
On August 9, 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.
Brown was accompanied by his 22-year-old male friend Dorian Johnson, who later stated that Brow ...
in Ferguson, Missouri
Ferguson is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. It is part of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. Per the 2020 census, the population was 18,527.
History
What is now the city of Ferguson was founded in 1855, when William B ...
two days previously.[ , the president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, released a statement soon after the shooting commenting "The killing of Ezell Ford — coming on the heels of the Michael Brown killing in Ferguson, Missouri — again raises the issue and problem of tense police-community relations".][ Hutchinson also said "If in fact Ferguson hadn't happened, if in fact we hadn't seen what we've seen the last two days there ... I don't know there would be the same sense of urgency. I think coming on the heels of that, it does give it a sense of urgency."]
Investigations, autopsy and LAPD response
Initial response
Both officers were placed on paid leave.[ In the aftermath of the shooting, and in response to threats on social media, the LAPD directed all officers to travel in pairs.][ Hutchinson and other civil rights leaders met with LAPD officials on August 14. Hutchinson said he was reassured by the meeting and believed the LAPD was taking the concerns seriously, and that it would fast-track the investigation while ensuring transparency. The activists who attended the meeting stressed that they did not want to see in Los Angeles rioting similar to that seen in Ferguson or in L.A. in 1992.]
LAPD officials named Wampler and Villegas on August 28. Wampler's name had been leaked the previous day by blogger Jasmyne Cannick
Jasmyne Ariel Cannick (born October 22, 1977) is an American politician, journalist, and pop culture, race issues and politics commentator. She is also known for her work as an advocate for underrepresented and marginalized communities. She was ...
.[ In a statement the department commented "it was necessary to investigate evidence ... regarding potential threats to the safety of the officers and ensure that measures were taken to mitigate those threats."][ Both officers remained on paid administrative leave.] In December 2014 a department spokesman said both officers had been reassigned to administrative duties.[
In August 2014, Paysinger said the LAPD would investigate the shooting with oversight by the ]Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners
The Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, also commonly known as the Los Angeles Police Commission, is a five-member body of civilian-only, appointed officials which oversees the Los Angeles Police Department.
Organization
The board is made ...
, its Office of Inspector General, and the office of the Los Angeles District Attorney
The District Attorney of Los Angeles County is in charge of the office that prosecutes felony and misdemeanor crimes that occur within Los Angeles County, California, United States. The current district attorney (DA) is George Gascón.
Some m ...
.[ On August 18 Los Angeles mayor ]Eric Garcetti
Eric Michael Garcetti (born February 4, 1971) is an American politician who served as the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 until 2022. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was first elected in the 2013 Los An ...
said he would ensure a "full and fair investigation" took place.[
]
Autopsy
On August 18 the LAPD placed a "security hold" on the release of the report of Ford's autopsy.[ Smith said the hold was due to the risk that the autopsy's findings would affect witnesses' testimonies, but Hutchinson said it would fuel "suspicions about the LAPD's version of the Ford killing."]
In October 2014 the South Central Neighborhood Council passed a resolution calling on Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles in California.
The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The President of the Los Angeles City Counc ...
member Curren Price
Curren De Mille Price, Jr. (born December 16, 1950, in Los Angeles, California) is an American politician of the Democratic Party, currently serving as a Los Angeles city council member for District 9. Price was a California State Senator, repre ...
to direct the LAPD to release Ford's autopsy report. A spokesman said the LAPD was reluctant to release information that could adversely affect ongoing investigations, and that the department had seen little success in finding witnesses. On November 13 Garcetti said the report would be made public by the end of 2014.
The autopsy was released on December 29. It showed Ford was shot three times, in the back, side and right arm. The gunshot wound in his back bore a "muzzle imprint" suggesting the shot was fired at very close range. It also noted multiple abrasions to Ford's hand and arm. Experts consulted by the ''Los Angeles Times'' said none of the autopsy's findings were unexpected or contradicted the officers' accounts.
Beck investigation
Beck concluded in a report that Wampler and Villegas had been justified in their actions. His investigation found that Wampler had grounds to reasonably suspect that Ford had been in possession of drugs.[
]
Bustamante investigation
Steve Soboroff
Steve Soboroff (born August 31, 1948) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and politician, who has been serving as a Los Angeles Police Commissioner since August 2013. Soboroff previously served as President of the Los Angeles Recreatio ...
, the president of the Board of Police Commissioners, said in August 2014 that he had asked the office of the Inspector General to prioritize its investigation of Ford's case.[ On September 2 Inspector General Alex Bustamante issued a statement urging witnesses to come forward. Bustamante said despite the conflicting accounts of the shooting, he had only succeeded in contacting one witness. In November 2014 Beck, District Attorney ]Jackie Lacey
Jacquelyn Phillips Lacey (born February 27, 1957) is an American politician who served as the District Attorney of Los Angeles County from December 3, 2012 to December 7, 2020. Lacey is the first woman, and first African-American, to serve as LA ...
and Price called on witnesses to come forward. On December 4 Beck said no new witnesses had been identified. Beck and Bustamante reiterated in December 2014 and January 2015 that the department had encountered difficulties in finding witnesses,[ and that witnesses whose names were provided by the Ford family's attorney had been uncooperative.][
Bustamante's report found that Wampler and Villegas's actions had been justified,][ but found that Wampler did not have grounds to reasonably suspect that Ford had been in possession of drugs. The report criticized Wampler's decision to initiate physical contact with Ford as a "substantial deviation from tactical training" that put him at risk of assault.][ Bustamante explained that, though Ford was looking back at Wampler and Villegas while taking his hands in and out of his pockets, this alone was not enough "to cross the threshold of reasonable suspicion".][
]
Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners investigation
On June 5, 2015 the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' reported that, "according to sources with knowledge of the investigation", the Board of Police Commissioners had determined that both Wampler and Villegas were justified in the shooting. Soboroff responded the same day that the Board had received several recommendations but had yet to make a decision.
On June 9, 2015 the Board's ruling stated that Villegas was justified in the shooting, but Wampler violated Ford's civil rights by detaining him.[ The commission rejected Beck's conclusion that Wampler had adhered to LAPD policy.][ The investigation found that Villegas did not have a good reason to initially draw his gun, and that Wampler did not have grounds to reasonably suspect that Ford had been in possession of drugs.][ Nine different determinations were issued: Wampler was found in violation of policy in four areas (tactics, drawing of weapon, use of non-lethal force, use of deadly force), while Villegas was within policy in three areas (tactics, use of non-lethal force, and use of deadly force) and one part of another area (drawing of weapon on the second occasion) but in violation of policy in another part of the same area (drawing of weapon on the first occasion).][ The Board's decision to consider the "totality of the circumstances, and not just the moment in which force was used" marked a departure from its previous approach to police shootings, which involved assessing only whether officers faced a deadly threat at the moment they opened fire.][ More than 100 people attended the Board's public meeting on June 9.][
The Board's decision is not legally binding.] Its findings will be sent to the LAPD's internal affairs group, and after a few months, will be forwarded to Beck, who will determine if he will discipline the officers involved. Any possible criminal charges will be determined by Lacey.
Speaking after the Board's ruling, Beck downplayed the disagreement between its report and his own, and said the result was the outcome of a system of checks and balances
Separation of powers refers to the division of a state's government into branches, each with separate, independent powers and responsibilities, so that the powers of one branch are not in conflict with those of the other branches. The typic ...
. Beck also released a video message in which he told LAPD officers, "You have my support. You have the support of the mayor. You have the support of the vast majority of the people of Los Angeles." Soboroff questioned Beck's failure to also mention the Board of Police Commissioners, which he described as "hurtful but ... untrue." Beck said it was not his intention to suggest that the Board did not support officers.
Craig Lally, the president of the LAPPL, criticized the ruling, and claimed the Board had dealt with the officers severely to prevent civil unrest.[ Lally and other LAPPL officials addressed Commissioners at the Board's first public meeting following the decision, where he criticized Commissioner Paula Madison for comments she made on ]KNBC
KNBC (channel 4) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Corona-licens ...
, in which she compared changing use of force
The use of force, in the context of law enforcement, may be defined as the "amount of effort required by police to compel compliance by an unwilling subject".
Use of force doctrines can be employed by law enforcement officers and military perso ...
laws to changing laws that once condoned slavery or barred women from voting. Lally described Madison's remarks as "disturbing and insulting." Lally also described Ford as a "known gang member".[
]
Garcetti commented on the Board of Police Commissioner's report on June 13, 2015. He said "I think it's so important for law enforcement officers to know that they are supported," and emphasized the need "to strengthen the bonds between community and between police." Garcetti also met with Tribotia Ford, and told reporters "It was a really beautiful meeting between the two of us, I think". Ford said she was grateful to the mayor but the meeting had come "10 months late."
Disciplinary process and long-term response
In June 2015 Beck criticized confidentiality laws, which he argued prevented him from making public the disciplinary measures to be placed on Wampler and Villegas, and called for "greater leeway for the police department to make not only the decisions known, but the rationale behind the decision." He said that these confidentiality requirements prevented him from discussing what measures would be taken against Wampler, or what form they could take.[
In July 2015 officials told KPCC that the LAPD would re-train all its officers in de-escalating confrontations with suspects and in approaching people with mental illnesses, in part in response to the shootings of Ford and Michael Brown.
]
Protests and community response
August 2014
On the morning of August 13 a group of men gathered at a makeshift memorial featuring candles and sign reading "police brutality must stop".[
On August 14, a rally and march was attended by around 100 protesters who marched from Leimert Plaza Park along ]Crenshaw Boulevard
Crenshaw Boulevard is a north-south thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California, that runs through Crenshaw and other neighborhoods along a 23-mile (37.76 km) route in the west-central part of the city.
The street extends between Wilshire Boulevar ...
to the LAPD's 77th division statement. Protesters marched with their hands raised[ shouted "]hands up, don't shoot
"Hands up, don't shoot", sometimes shortened to "hands up", is a slogan and gesture that originated after the August 9, 2014, shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, United States and then adopted at protests against police brutality i ...
", and chanted Ford's name.[ The protest took place simultaneously with demonstrations in 90 other U.S. cities as part of a National Moment of Silence for Michael Brown.][ Lavell Ford, Ezell Ford's brother, spoke, saying "They killing us all, they killing us all. Blacks, Latinos, everybody, they just killing us. And we gotta take a stand. It happens everyday around in this neighborhood, everyday. That could've been me laying out there."] After the protest many demonstrators went to the scene of the shooting.[ Another protest took place the following day, and was attended by around 36 people.]
On August 15, Paysinger favorably compared the Los Angeles' community's reaction to Ford's death to the reaction to Brown's death in Missouri, and attributed the absence of violence to "the confidence the public has in the police department to conduct an immediate, a thorough, a thoughtful investigation". Paysinger added that the LAPD does "a much better job reaching out to the community" than it had done previously.[ Soboroff described the comparison as "apples to oranges," due to the LAPD's emphasis on ]community policing
Community policing, or community-oriented policing (COP), is a strategy of policing that focuses on developing relationships with community members. It is a philosophy of full-service policing that is highly personal, where an officer patrols ...
. Price said "Los Angeles is not Ferguson. Much work has gone into changing the culture of our police department. Our progress is evidenced this evening by the presence of our chief of police and his command staff."[
On August 15 a video entitled "Fuck the Police" was posted online accompanying a song by Ceebo the Rapper. The song's lyrics state "When they killed Ez' ]ord
Ord or ORD may refer to:
Places
* Ord of Caithness, landform in north-east Scotland
* Ord, Nebraska, USA
* Ord, Northumberland, England
* Muir of Ord, village in Highland, Scotland
* Ord, Skye, a place near Tarskavaig
* Ord River, Western Austr ...
they should have killed me," and described police as "the enemy" and "KKK
The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...
in the flesh." On August 21 the Los Angeles Police Protective League
The Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) is the police union representing Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers up to the rank of lieutenant. LAPPL has a membership of 9,900 sworn officers.
The LAPPL serves to protect the inter ...
(LAPPL) called for officers to be on heightened alert in response to the video. Ceebo the Rapper, a cousin of Ford, said "There was never any intent n the song
N, or n, is the fourteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet# ...
to threaten any police or nothing. But I guess that's how they want to take it".
Another protest occurred on August 17, in response to Ford's death as well as that of Brown. Several hundred protesters marched to LAPD headquarters, where several speeches were made, and then to Union Station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
, La Placita, through Little Tokyo and Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...
to City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
. Protesters carried signs carrying the names of Ford and Brown; others wore Guy Fawkes mask
The Guy Fawkes mask (also known as the ''V for Vendetta'' mask or Anonymous mask) is a stylised depiction of Guy Fawkes (the best-known member of the Gunpowder Plot, an attempt to blow up the House of Lords in London on 5November 1605) created by ...
s.[ The protesters again chanted "Hands up, don't shoot",][ and called for charges to be brought against the officers involved in Ford's death,] and for the names of the officers to be released. Speakers also demanded increased civilian oversight of the police and mandatory body camera
A body camera, bodycam, body worn video (BWV), body-worn camera, or wearable camera is a wearable audio, video, or photographic recording system.
Body cameras have a range of uses and designs, of which the best-known use is as a part of poli ...
s.[ Interactions between police and protesters were minimal and no violence was reported.][
On August 19, Beck answered questions before an audience of around 300 community members at Paradise Baptist Church in South Los Angeles,] including members of Ford's family.[ Beck told the audience there remained "more questions than answers" in the Ford investigation,][ and said "We wonder the same things: Was it necessary? Was it justified? Could there have been another way? I want exactly what you want ... and that is the truth."][ Beck declined to name the officers or share information on why they had stopped Ford, explaining "I will not give you half a story ... We have to find out all the facts";][ and promised the names would be released when the department believed they were no longer in danger of retaliation.][ Soboroff, Bustamante, Deputy District Attorney James Garrison, and Price also attended.][ Another protest also took place on the same day.] After attending the meeting Paysinger said "You think you're in a good place, but then you find yourself at that meeting ... It was patently clear to me that we need to get busy." Paysinger also commented that two decades previously such a meeting would not have taken place and said he "found great satisfaction, at least in some way, that people came. They had an ability to voice their dissatisfaction with the LAPD because I think somewhere deep down, they do believe that something is going to happen." Around 100 people took part in another protest on August 21.
Ford's funeral was held on August 30 at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles
The First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles (First A.M.E. or FAME) is a megachurch in Los Angeles, California, United States, part of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. It is the oldest church founded by African American ...
. County supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
Mark Ridley-Thomas is an American politician. He previously served three terms on the Los Angeles City Council from the 8th district from 1991 to 2002, and again for the 10th district from 2020 until his expulsion from the council in 2022. Ridle ...
, Price, U.S. Representative Maxine Waters
Maxine Moore Waters (née Carr; born August 15, 1938) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1991. The district, numbered as the 29th district from 1991 to 1993 and as the 35th district from 1993 to 2013, incl ...
and former U.S. Representative Diane Watson
Diane Edith Watson (born November 12, 1933) is a former American politician who served as US Representative for , serving from 2003 until 2011, after first being elected in the 32nd District in a 2001 special election. She is a member of the Demo ...
spoke at the service. Speakers linked Ford's death to other encounters between officers and unarmed African-American men, including the shooting of Michael Brown.[
]
Later events
On December 29, 2014, following the release of Ford's autopsy, demonstrators gathered outside LAPD headquarters and at Leimert Park.[ That evening protesters briefly blocked traffic on the 110 Freeway.][
In December 2014 a group of activists including Hutchinson announced the ''Ezell Ford Police Conflict Reduction Plan'', calling for mandatory body cameras, a review of deadly force policies, retraining on mental health issues, a conflict mediation task force, and for referring all officer-involved shootings to criminal prosecutors. Another demonstration took place on January 3, 2015, organised by the Coalition for Community Control Over the Police, with around 50 participants.
In late December 2014 and early January 2015 protesters camped outside LAPD headquarters. On January 5 they were forced to leave, with two arrests made after participants tried to pass barricades to deliver their demands to Beck. The following day demonstrators attended the weekly meeting of the Los Angeles Board of Commissioners, demanding greater transparency and civilian control over the LAPD. Later in January protesters continued to gather daily outside LAPD headquarters,] demanding that Wampler and Villegas be terminated and that Lacey file charges against the officers. An activist interviewed by ''ColorLines
''Colorlines'' is a digital media platform that seeks to build a political home for everyday people and activists. The platform creates accessible multimedia to power its vision of a just multiracial democracy where all thrive.
History
''Colorlin ...
'' said LAPD officers had used "intimidation tactics" against the encampment.[ On January 9 leaders met with Beck, who did not accept the demand that the officers be fired but agreed to treat the protesters with greater respect.][ Following the meeting police removed the metal barricade used to keep the protesters away from the building.][
Prior to the Board of Commissioners' announcement of its findings in June 2015 a ]protest camp
Protest camps are physical camps that are set up by activists, to either provide a base for protest, or to delay, obstruct or prevent the focus of their protest by physically blocking it with the camp. Protest camps may also have a symbolic or repr ...
was established outside Garcetti's home. Later in June a small group of protesters gathered in response to reports that Beck and Bustamante would find that Wampler and Villegas were justified in shooting Ford. After the ruling community activists called on Lacey to file criminal charges against Wampler.[ Tritobia Ford applauded the outcome and joined in calling for Lacey to file charges.] She also said she was "kind of surprised" by the decision.[ In July 2015 Garcetti announced he would meet with ]Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...
activists who called for the dismissal of Beck, Wampler and Villegas.
Ford's family held a memorial service for Ford at Inglewood Park Cemetery
Inglewood Park Cemetery, 720 East Florence Avenue in Inglewood, California, was founded in 1905.
A number of notable people, including entertainment and sports personalities, have been interred or entombed there.
History
The proposed est ...
on August 8, 2015. Protesters disrupted a meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners on August 11, the first anniversary of Ford's death. Protesters shouted at a woman who spoke in support of police officers, and held photographs of Ford. An LAPD lieutenant declared an unlawful assembly, and demonstrators delivered written demands that Beck, Wampler and Villegas attend a "people's tribunal". No arrests were made and the demonstration continued outside LAPD headquarters.
Legal proceedings
In September 2014, Ford's family members filed a federal wrongful-death
Wrongful death claim is a claim against a person who can be held liable for a death. The claim is brought in a civil action, usually by close relatives, as enumerated by statute. In wrongful death cases, survivors are compensated for the harm, l ...
lawsuit against the LAPD.[ They voluntarily dismissed this suit in June 2016.
In March 2015, Ford's parents filed a second wrongful-death lawsuit in state court, alleging that Wampler and Villegas intentionally or negligently shot Ford and that Wampler and Villegas violated Ford's constitutional rights. The suit also alleged that the LAPD had a longstanding practice of violating civil rights, and that Wampler and Villegas were motivated by Ford's race and their "prejudice, disdain and contempt for African Americans or persons of black skin tone." The City of Los Angeles settled this lawsuit in October 2016 for $1.5 million.
In January 2017 Los Angeles County prosecutors said Wampler and Villegas would not face criminal charges in connection with the shooting.]
See also
* BART Police shooting of Oscar Grant
Oscar Grant III was a 22-year-old African-American man who was killed in the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2009 by BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle in Oakland, California. Responding to reports of a fight on a crowded Bay Area Rapid ...
, a 22-year-old African American man, in California in January 2009
* Shooting of Andy Lopez
The fatal killing of Andy Lopez by Sonoma County sheriff's deputy Erick Gelhaus took place on October 22, 2013, in Santa Rosa, California. 13-year-old Lopez was walking through a vacant lot and carrying an airsoft gun that was designed to resemb ...
, a 13-year-old Hispanic boy, by a police officer in California in October 2013
* Death of Eric Garner
On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner was killed in the New York City borough of Staten Island after Daniel Pantaleo, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer, put him in a prohibited chokehold while arresting him. Video footage of the incide ...
, a 43-year-old African American man, after being placed in a chokehold by a police officer in New York in July 2014
* List of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States, August 2014
* Shooting of John Crawford III
The killing of John Crawford III occurred on August 5, 2014. Crawford was a 22-year-old African-American man shot and killed by a police officer in a Walmart store in Beavercreek, Ohio, near Dayton, while he was holding a BB gun that was for sal ...
, a 22-year-old African American man, by a police officer in Ohio in August 2014
* Shooting of Akai Gurley
Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old black man, was fatally shot on November 20, 2014, in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, by a New York City Police Department officer. Two police officers, patrolling stairwells in the New York City Housing Authori ...
, a 28-year-old African American man, by police in New York in November 2014
* Shooting of Tamir Rice
On November 22, 2014, Tamir E. Rice, a 12-year-old African-American boy, was killed in Cleveland, Ohio, by Timothy Loehmann, a 26-year-old white police officer. Rice was carrying a replica toy gun; Loehmann shot him almost immediately upon arri ...
, a 12-year-old African American boy, by a police officer in Ohio in November 2014
* Shooting of Antonio Martin
The shooting of Antonio Martin occurred on December 23, 2014, in Berkeley, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Martin, an 18-year-old black male, was fatally shot by a white Berkeley police officer when Martin pulled a gun on him. The shooting spark ...
, an 18-year-old African American man, by a police officer in Missouri in December 2014
* Shooting of Walter Scott
On April 4, 2015, Walter Scott, a 50-year-old black man, was fatally shot by Michael Slager, a local police officer in North Charleston, South Carolina. Slager had stopped Scott for a non-functioning brake light. Slager was charged with murder ...
, a 50-year-old African American man, by a police officer in South Carolina in April 2015
* Death of Sandra Bland
Sandra Annette Bland was a 28-year-old African-American woman who was found hanged in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas, on , 2015, three days after being arrested during a traffic stop. Her death was ruled a suicide. It was followed by protest ...
, a 28-year-old African American woman, in a jail cell in Texas in July 2015
* Shooting of Samuel DuBose
On July 19, 2015, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Samuel DuBose, an unarmed man, was fatally shot by Ray Tensing, a University of Cincinnati police officer, during an off-campus traffic stop for not having the front license plate on the vehicle.
After as ...
, a 43-year-old African American man, by a police officer in Ohio in July 2015
* Death of Freddie Gray
On April 12, 2015, Freddie Carlos Gray Jr., a 25-year-old African American, was arrested by the Baltimore Police Department over his legal possession of a knife. While being transported in a police van, Gray sustained injuries and was taken to ...
, a 25-year-old African American man, from injuries sustained during an arrest in Maryland in April 2015
* Murder of George Floyd
On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's n ...
, a 46-year-old African American man, after being choked by a police officer's knee in Minneapolis in May 2020
References
External links
*
*
Lawsuit against the LAPD, Wampler and Villegas, filed by Ford's parents in September 2014
Ezell Ford autopsy report, published in the ''Los Angeles Times'' in December 2014
LAPD chief Charlie Beck's report into the shooting
completed in May 2015
Abridged reports of the LAPD chief, LAPD Office of Inspector General, and Board of Police Commissioners
June 2015
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Ezell
2014 in California
Los Angeles Police Department
2014 deaths
Deaths by firearm in California
African-American history in Los Angeles
Law enforcement in California
Deaths by person in Los Angeles
Protests in the United States
2014 in Los Angeles
African-American-related controversies
Black Lives Matter
August 2014 events in the United States
African Americans shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States