A civilian review board decided Tuesday that the actions of officers were justified in a case involving the shooting death of a Los Angeles woman. In a closed-door session, the Los Angeles Police Commission said officers acted within department policy in shooting 30-year-old Redel Jones. Police say Jones refused to put down a large knife despite orders from officers and instead moved closer to them, which prompted the shooting. According to the investigation, police say Jones fit the description of a robbery suspect at a nearby pharmacy.
LAPD Officer Brett Ramirez shot and killed Jones in August 2015. After a chase into a Baldwin Hills alley, police say Jones moved closer to Ramirez, refusing to drop the knife after being asked to do so.
In a report released Tuesday on the shooting, Ramirez said Jones was “facing straight at me, and then points the knife at me and charges at me.” He went on to say, “I thought my life was in danger … Only one of us was going to make it out of this.”
A witness to the shooting reported Jones running from police and not toward them.
“I do know for a fact that she was not charging at them,” Courtyana Franklin told the Los Angeles Times days after the shooting. “Those police were running. They were not trying to get away from her.”
Jones’ husband, Marcus Vaughn, refuses to believe his wife had a knife.
“She was a beautiful, intelligent black woman who did not deserve any of this,” Vaughn said.
In an interview the Associated Press, Vaughn expressed how the shooting has left a great divide on his family.
“It’s just an event that has caused my children to feel like, you know, that I could someday get killed,” he said. “There’s nothing that hurts worse.”
Vaughn was surrounded with support from the community.
The scene outside LAPD after LA Police Commission found shooting of #RedelJones within policy. pic.twitter.com/lmOzkuAOQd
— Ruben Vives (@LATvives) July 12, 2016
#OccupyCityHall needs toothbrushes, toothpaste & sleeping bags. Pls bring donations to 200 N Spring for #RedelJones pic.twitter.com/sLY2vew9fO
— #OccupyLA (@OccupyLA) July 13, 2016
Dozens of protesters attempted to storm City Hall, but were greeted by police denying them access at the entrance.
Shot from earlier when the group wanted to get inside LA City Hall. #RedelJones #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/acrLKydrFH
— Ruben Vives (@LATvives) July 12, 2016
#BlackLivesMatter #LosAngeles #BLMLA is calling for firing of #LAPD Chief Beck. #FireBeck #BLM #RedelJones pic.twitter.com/PXsYWoAWxH
— PMbeers (@PMbeers) July 13, 2016
Demonstrators camped out at City Hall calling for the firing of LAPD’s chief.
The #BlackLivesMatter protesters want #LAPD chief Beck fired. @KNX1070 @CBSLA pic.twitter.com/IfCv84HCqQ
— Jon Baird (@KNXBaird) July 13, 2016
