18 year old Carnell “CJ” Snell Jr. was shot and killed Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles. Around 1 p.m. LAPD says officers spotted paper plates on a vehicle that they believed may have been stolen. According to the officers, when they attempted to stop the vehicle the driver failed to stop. When the car did come to a stop, officers say two people, one of which was Snell, jumped out of the vehicle and began to run. Snell and the other passenger ran in opposite directions while police followed in pursuit. One of the officers chased Snell to the back of a home where witnesses say he was shot and killed by the officer.

During a press conference Sgt. Barry Montgomery detailed the events that took place leading up to the shooting.

#LAPD respond to #OfficerInvolvedShooting in south LA. @latimes @LANow pic.twitter.com/3itHr3WA4G

— barbara davidson (@photospice) October 2, 2016

Monique Morgan, Snell’s mother, told reporters police shot her son at least five times. Witnesses say the teen’s back was turned and his hands were in the air when the officer fired. The name of the officer who killed Snell has yet to be released. Police say a gun was recovered at the scene however, the exact cause as to why the officer fired has not been announced. The DA is investigating.

The mother of an 18-year-old shot by #LAPD pleads with them to see her son at the scene in south LA. @latimes @lanow #policeshootings pic.twitter.com/gu6ePNK5Bw

— barbara davidson (@photospice) October 1, 2016

Although a statement was released , LAPD has provided limited details on what took place.

#LAPD News Release: Officer Involved Shooting in South Los Angeles. See attached photo. @LAPD77thSt @lapdmetro pic.twitter.com/q2krMf876i

— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 2, 2016

The lack of information and transparency rings all too well as protestors denounced these types of shootings that have become the norm.

#BlackLivesMatter activists gather to protest the shooting of 18 yr old CJ Snell in South LA today. @LANow @latimes #officerInvolvedShooting pic.twitter.com/KRtpZATb2u

— barbara davidson (@photospice) October 2, 2016

Most recently, police in Charlotte, NC were criticized for the handling of Keith Lamont Scott’s shooting death by an officer. The same week, a Tulsa, OK officer was charged with shooting and killing Terrence Crutcher, as video showed his hands in the air.

During a press conference Sgt. Barry Montgomery detailed the events that took place leading up to the shooting.

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