Armed Man Advances on LAPD Officer - Officer Involved Shooting Occurs

Los Angeles:  Yesterday, a 21-year old North Hills man armed with a metal fireplace poker advanced on a police officer in a threatening manner and was fatally shot.

On May 27, 2010, at about 12:30 p.m., Los Angeles Police Department officers assigned to Mission Patrol Division responded to a call for service involving a man with a history of suicide threats.  Upon arriving at the residence in the 8300 block of Burnet Avenue, family members directed the officers to the man, later identified as Oscar Morales.  

Officers encountered Morales in the living room area of the house.  Morales initially appeared to cooperate with officers, but then, for no apparent reason, armed himself with a fireplace poker and advanced on an officer.  Morales would not drop the fireplace poker and an officer involved shooting occurred.  

Morales was shot in the upper torso and fell to the floor.  He was rushed to a local hospital where he failed to respond to treatment and died.

Officer Davis Giron was the officer involved.  He has 10 years and 5 months with the LAPD.

Force Investigation Division responded to the scene and is responsible for conducting the officer involved shooting investigation.

Comments

[Eva]

Why was he shot in his upper torso when there's an leg some where else that wouldn't cause his death?!!!!!! How save are we????? What if I get drunk and get violet in a bar or home would you LAPD shoot me too?

[Eva]

Btw a fireplace poker is not reason for an innocent person get shot and loose his life!!!!!!!

[batteredbypd]

Hmmmmm I don't know about this one....I want to see what comes of this investigation!

[ABC Officer]

Hey Eva,

What do you think your face would look like if I hit it with a fireplace poker? Yeah if you lived it would be pretty messed up. You might even go blind or lose your ability to chew food properly. As for the leg shot; Cops aren't trained to shoot at the smallest moving target. They are trained to shoot at center body mass because that's the best chance you have to hit and stop the deadly threat. Maybe if you ever have the chance to be charged by a violent armed person you'll have the skill and composure to use your bare hands or marvelous speaking ability to calm him and disarm him before he brains you or some other innocent. Good luck with that. I'll stick to my training and experience to guide my actions and you use yours.

[ABC Officer]

Oh and so you don't think I haven't thought this one through: I'm sure this Officer feels horrible for having to shoot this guy in front of his family who called him for help. I'm sure he will wake up nights hearing their screams and wondering if he couldn't have done something differently. I hope for his sake he realizes he did what he had to do in the split second he had to make a life or death choice. I hope he is able to remember the many stories and even videos of Officers who were unable to make that decision and paid for it with their lives. Remember, that Officer was called to that location and went because he was the only one with a chance to make a difference. Everyone else either had failed or didn't even try. He went there to help some strangers and put his life on the line for those strangers. This turned out to be tragic but that does not mean it was the Officer who caused that outcome. If he hadn't gone, or someone like him, we may be reading about a family who was killed by a mentally unstable man with a fireplace poker. Think about that one Eva.

[Blu9ght]

Funny how all the Use of Force Experts come out of the wood-work. By the way, the law and department policy allows an officer to use deadly force (shoot) when presented with the risk of great bodily injury or death. Officers are taught to shoot at center mass (torso), not at feet, legs, ankles, buttocks hands, or fingers, like hollywood movies sometimes represent.

[Cycling CITIZEN]

Sorry this guy had to loose his life, but that was the choice HE made! These officers were only protecting themselves and the public, Eva! You would be screaming bloody murder if that guy were beating you in the head with that steel pipe and the cops were right there. If you don't mind being bludgeoned to death with a "STEEL" rod with a steel spear tip, then feel free to bash and impale yourself with it and then, if you can, you tell me if that is a deadly weapon?
My fellow citizens, this isn't rocket science, never attack an armed person with a steel pipe, you will not win that battle. And rightfully so. This whole thing is a shame, but it's the fault of one person, and that's Mr. Morales.

[5 more years]

Eve, when was the last time someone came at you with a fireplace poker?