LAPD Releases Video Shooting & Killing Unarmed, Mentally Ill Homeless Man--Horrific

We're just at a loss for words on this one. You?

On Sunday, March 15, 2015, LAPD responded to a report of an attempted robbery on South San Pedro Street. Officers approached Charly “Africa” Keunang in his tent and after a struggle, Charly was shot and killed. Many of the details have been up for debate.

Keunangs family says he was unarmed and suffering from mental illness and is a victim of police brutality. On the other hand, the LAPD says that he violently resisted and fought officers, and eventually tried to reach for an officer's gun. Which is what they say led to the shooting.

Despite multiple officers present at the time of the shooting being equipped with body cameras, for years the only footage available of the shooting was from a bystander video that was posted online.

For almost three years, the Los Angeles Police Department has refused to release their footage but after a lengthy court battle, the Los Angeles Times was able to obtain the footage from the body cams.

Full body cam footage -- warning this is graphic:

The violent recordings show just how quick the situation escalated. The video shows Keunang standing outside his tent arguing with officers Francisco Martinez and Sgt. Chand Syed. 

“Listen, listen,” Keunang says.

“No, no,” Martinez says. “It doesn’t work like that.”

This is when Martinez threatens to taser Keunang if he does not cooperate. Keunang can be heard saying, "Let me express myself," before ducking back into his tent and telling officers to "leave me alone." Two of the officers pull the tent open and Syed attempts to persuade Keunang to calm down and exit the tent. When Keunang steps out this time, he is tased by officer Martinez. 

You can see at least three officers leap on Keunang and as one cop uses his taser directly against Keunang's body you can hear them yell, "stop resisting!" Keunang is now struggling on the ground and caught in the wires of two tasers while being punched repeatedly.

Suddenly an officer begins shouting: “He has my gun! He has my gun!” This is the moment Syed draws his gun and fires. Martinez as well as a third officer, Daniel Torres, also shot at Keunang.

After the chaos dies down, the officers search Keunangs hands, his tent, and the area surrounding him -- there is no gun to be found. 

Now, Keunang's family wants justice. The LAPD recently released an enhanced image that supposedly shows Keunang grabbing for the officers gun. However, the family's attorney insists they cannot see it. “When you watch that video in real-time, it is difficult to see the suspect’s hand on the officer’s gun,” said LAPD Chief Charlie Beck. “But when you slow it down, frame by frame, it is quite easy to see.”

In a closed door hearing conducted by the Los Angeles Police Commision, the LAPD, the Police Commision, and prosecutors all ruled that the officers were justified in shooting Keunang after he grabbed an officer's gun. 

Keunangs family and their supporters believe that the officers used aggressive, unnecessary force and provoked the shooting. Others are asking could this situation have been handled in a more peaceful manner. 

Charly “Africa” Keunang was killed because officers couldn't be bothered to simply listen to what he had to say. We can't continue losing innocent lives because police officers become afraid or aren't being trained to properly handle these types of situations. It's time to do better! #BlackLivesMatter