Los Angeles Police Officer Charged with Murder of Unarmed Homeless Man
A grand jury indictment has been unsealed, charging a former Los Angeles police officer with second-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of an unarmed homeless man, Brendan Glenn. The shooting took place on May 2015 outside a bar in Venice, California, where Glenn had gotten into a struggle with officers and a bouncer.
Proctor, who was 60 at the time, claimed that Glenn reached for his gun during the altercation, prompting him to fire two shots. However, video footage from the scene contradicts Proctor's account, suggesting that Glenn did not have his hand on the holster when he shot him in the back.
The Los Angeles district attorney's office announced that the indictment comes after re-examining four use-of-force cases involving law enforcement officers, including Proctor's. The previous district attorney, George Gascón, declined to charge Proctor in 2018, citing insufficient evidence. However, the current district attorney, Nathan Hochman, has decided to pursue the case.
Proctor resigned from the Los Angeles police department in 2017 and was later paid $4 million by the city to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Glenn's relatives. He remains in jail pending his next court date on November 3.
The case highlights the ongoing debate about police use of force and racial disparities in law enforcement. The shooting of Brendan Glenn, who was Black, drew widespread attention and sparked protests against police shootings in Los Angeles.
A grand jury indictment has been unsealed, charging a former Los Angeles police officer with second-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of an unarmed homeless man, Brendan Glenn. The shooting took place on May 2015 outside a bar in Venice, California, where Glenn had gotten into a struggle with officers and a bouncer.
Proctor, who was 60 at the time, claimed that Glenn reached for his gun during the altercation, prompting him to fire two shots. However, video footage from the scene contradicts Proctor's account, suggesting that Glenn did not have his hand on the holster when he shot him in the back.
The Los Angeles district attorney's office announced that the indictment comes after re-examining four use-of-force cases involving law enforcement officers, including Proctor's. The previous district attorney, George Gascón, declined to charge Proctor in 2018, citing insufficient evidence. However, the current district attorney, Nathan Hochman, has decided to pursue the case.
Proctor resigned from the Los Angeles police department in 2017 and was later paid $4 million by the city to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Glenn's relatives. He remains in jail pending his next court date on November 3.
The case highlights the ongoing debate about police use of force and racial disparities in law enforcement. The shooting of Brendan Glenn, who was Black, drew widespread attention and sparked protests against police shootings in Los Angeles.