The LA County District Attorney's Office has until Friday to decide whether to charge a man in connection with a false 911 call that led to a fatal police shooting.
Oscar Carillo is being held on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter
The Pasadena Police Department this week released audio of a 911 call made on Saturday, during which Oscar Carillo told a dispatcher he was the victim of an armed robbery near Orange Grove Boulevard and Summit Avenue.
Officers arrived at the scene and approached a teenager who they believed was armed with a gun. When the teen allegedly reached for his waistband, an officer shot and killed him.
That teenager, 19-year-old Kendrec McDade, turned out to be unarmed, and no stolen merchandise was ever found.
Investigators must now decide whether Oscar Carillo should be held responsible for allegedly lying to the 911 dispatcher.
Prominent defense attorney Luis Carillo, no relation to Oscar Carillo or to the case, for his take on what has become a growing controversy.
"The first thing I would explain is that this is an effort by the Pasadena Police Department to shift away the focus from the police officer's unjustified shooting," Luis Carillo said. "I don't believe for one second that this young man was allegedly reaching into his waistband, because there was no gun in his waistband."
McDade's family attorney said regardless of who's to blame, the teen's family wants justice.
"There are very serious questions as to the credibility of the caller that triggered the police response," family attorney Caree Harper said. "His lie triggered a series of events that caused my client's son to be killed in the street like a dog."
The shooting took place in a dark, mixed-use area and there were no witnesses, said Lt. Phlunté Riddle, a spokeswoman at the Pasadena Police Department. McDade died at a hospital.
A 17-year-old Pasadena boy, said to be with McDade during the incident, was arrested and charged with grand theft.
The officer involved in the shooting remains on paid administrative leave.
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