An LAPD officer is facing possible criminal charges after hitting and killing a 26-year-old Luis Espinoza with her patrol vehicle in South LA along Century Boulevard. LAPD Chief Michael Moore ordered an internal investigation within days of the incident and the officer has been placed on administrative leave pending its results. Jonathan Gonzalez reports for the NBC4 News on Jan. 8, 2024.
An LAPD officer with the Southeast Division is facing possible criminal charges after hitting and killing a pedestrian in a patrol car crash.
Newly released video footage edited by the LAPD shows the moments before and after the unnamed officer hit and killed 26-year-old Luis Espinoza of Long Beach. The crash took place around 5 p.m. Dec. 8 along Century Boulevard at McKinley Avenue in South LA.
The footage appears to show Espinoza running across traffic outside of a crosswalk when the officer hit him as she was driving with her vehicle’s light bar activated with a green light ahead. The surveillance video then shows Espinoza lying lifeless on the road as the officer stops the car and calls for help from yards away.
According to the video’s timestamp, over one-minute lapses before the officer exits her car and walks over to Espinoza to begin rendering aid, but he was taken to the hospital, where he died.
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LAPD Chief Michael Moore told NBC4’s I-Team that he ordered an internal affairs investigation within days of the incident, saying the officer “inappropriately” used her emergency lights and was driving at high speeds at the time of the crash.
The department’s Collision Investigation Team plans to present its findings to the District Attorney’s office to determine whether a crime was committed by the officer.
“We mourn the loss of this individual,” Moore said. “It is important as our officers move about the city that we conduct ourselves professionally, that we obey the rules of the road and that we drive about in a manner that is considerate of the actions of pedestrians and the motoring public.”
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The LAPD released footage of the officer’s damaged patrol car.
The officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
