Los Angeles Police officers shot and killed a man in Koreatown early
Saturday morning after he reached into his waistband for what officers
believed was a weapon, authorities said.
Steven Eugene Washington, 27, died from a single gunshot wound to the head shortly after midnight.
Although
no weapon was found, officers said they feared for their lives because
Washington did not respond to their commands and appeared to be
reaching for his waistband.
Hours after the shooting,
Washington’s relatives criticized police and said the dead man had
suffered from learning disabilities and was generally afraid of
strangers. They insisted that he was not violent and that he probably
was walking home after visiting a friend.
Police identified the
gang enforcement officers involved as Allan Corrales and George Diego,
who have served nearly seven and eight years with the department,
respectively. Both have been reassigned until the probe is completed,
police said.
–Jason Song in Koreatown