Los Angeles police have launched video of a disturbing incident during which one among their officers fatally struck a skateboarder using in the midst of the street in Highland Park.
Gerardo “Jerry” Estrada was killed within the Sept. 19 crash, which stays beneath investigation.
The officer driving was responding to a name within the 6100 block of Piedmont Avenue at 7:15 p.m. and headed north on Figueroa Road to assist set up a fringe whereas police looked for a felony warrant suspect, mentioned Capt. Mike Bland, a division spokesperson.
The officer, Bland mentioned, was driving with their siren on and emergency lights flashing once they hit Estrada.
Within the video, captured by the automobile’s dashcam, the police cruiser is seen weaving throughout lanes on Figueroa Road, at occasions driving on the improper aspect of the road to get round automobiles stacked up and blocking lanes at a purple mild close to intersections. Sirens will be heard within the background.
Nonetheless from police video of a skateboarder being hit by a patrol automotive.
(Los Angeles Police Division)
The automobile is seen steering left towards the middle median because it approaches one other purple mild within the distance.
Two officers will be heard speaking to one another because the automotive drives down the road, till one of many officers is heard saying, “Be careful, be careful, be careful!”
Within the video, Estrada is seen on a skateboard within the heart median. Estrada jumps off the skateboard, and briefly places up each of his palms earlier than he’s struck by the automotive.
“Oh s—, dude!” one of many officers is heard saying because the patrol automotive pulls to the far left lane of the road.
“Oh f—!” the opposite officer says. “F—, man!”
Officers rapidly jumped out of the automobile and located Estrada wedged beneath a parked automobile close by, Bland mentioned in a video assertion launched by the division.
The patrol automotive concerned within the crash.
(Los Angeles Police Division)
Physique digital camera from one of many officers, additionally launched Tuesday by the division, reveals the crash occurred simply exterior a carnival, the place witnesses started to yell and urge officers to do one thing.
“Do one thing, there’s someone f— dying!” one individual is heard yelling.
The officers eliminated Estrada from beneath the automotive, and tried to render first support.
Firefighters who responded to the scene declared Estrada useless on the scene.
In accordance with Bland, the crash remains to be beneath investigation, which might take months to finish.
LAPD officers didn’t instantly reply to questions on the identities of the 2 officers who have been within the automobile on the time of the crash.
The day following the crash, Estrada’s mom, Rosa Casares, instructed KTLA her son was headed house from work that evening.
“He was an exquisite child,” she instructed KTLA.
