D.A. Will Not Charge LAPD Officers Who Shot And Killed Ezell Ford

South Los Angeles resident Ezell Ford died at the hands of police officers during a clash near his home in August 2014, prompting an instant outcry that echoed ongoing criticism over officers’ hostile interactions with African Americans and Latinos.

Yet, the two cops who shot and killed the 25-year-old, mentally-ill black man won’t face any legal consequences for their actions. According to the Los Angeles Times, county prosecutors said they will not criminally charge the police officers involved on Tuesday (Jan. 24)

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The decision comes more than a year and a half after a police oversight panel faulted one of the officers for his “flawed” handling of the encounter. Yet, the office of L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey proceeded with their decision in a 28-page report that insists Ford posed “an immediate threat” to the officers.

Physical evidence corroborated the officers’ accounts that Ford knocked one of them over before attempting to grab his gun and, according to the D.A., the officers acted lawfully in their deadly response. Records show the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has not charged a law enforcement officer in an on-duty shooting since 2000, the Los Angeles Times reports.

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“The last bit of hope that we had is crushed,” Ford’s mother Tritobia Ford told reporters on Tuesday afternoon. “These officers are going scot-free. They’re getting away with murder. There’s no justice for Ezell.”

Read full story here.