Los Angeles police have launched video of a disturbing incident wherein one in every of their officers fatally struck a skateboarder using in the midst of the highway in Highland Park.
Gerardo “Jerry” Estrada was killed within the Sept. 19 crash, which stays below investigation.
The officer driving was responding to a name within the 6100 block of Piedmont Avenue at 7:15 p.m. and headed north on Figueroa Avenue to assist set up a fringe whereas police looked for a felony warrant suspect, mentioned Capt. Mike Bland, a division spokesperson.
The officer, Bland mentioned, was driving with their siren on and emergency lights flashing after they hit Estrada.
Within the video, captured by the automobile’s dashcam, the police cruiser is seen weaving throughout lanes on Figueroa Avenue, at occasions driving on the incorrect facet of the road to get round autos stacked up and blocking lanes at a purple gentle close to intersections. Sirens may be heard within the background.
Nonetheless from police video of a skateboarder being hit by a patrol automotive.
(Los Angeles Police Division)
The automobile is seen steering left towards the middle median because it approaches one other purple gentle within the distance.
Two officers may be heard speaking to one another because the automotive drives down the road, till one of many officers is heard saying, “Be careful, be careful, be careful!”
Within the video, Estrada is seen on a skateboard within the middle median. Estrada jumps off the skateboard, and briefly places up each of his palms earlier than he’s struck by the automotive.
“Oh s—, dude!” one of many officers is heard saying because the patrol automotive pulls to the far left lane of the road.
“Oh f—!” the opposite officer says. “F—, man!”
Officers rapidly jumped out of the automobile and located Estrada wedged beneath a parked automobile close by, Bland mentioned in a video assertion launched by the division.
The patrol automotive concerned within the crash.
(Los Angeles Police Division)
Physique digital camera from one of many officers, additionally launched Tuesday by the division, reveals the crash occurred simply exterior a carnival, the place witnesses started to yell and urge officers to do one thing.
“Do one thing, there’s anyone f— dying!” one particular person is heard yelling.
The officers eliminated Estrada from below the automotive, and tried to render first assist.
Firefighters who responded to the scene declared Estrada useless on the scene.
In response to Bland, the crash remains to be below investigation, which might take months to finish.
LAPD officers didn’t instantly reply to questions on the identities of the 2 officers who have been within the automobile on the time of the crash.
The day following the crash, Estrada’s mom, Rosa Casares, instructed KTLA her son was headed house from work that night time.
“He was a beautiful child,” she instructed KTLA.
