The family of a man who was fatally shot by Los Angeles police while wielding what turned out to be a plastic fork announced the filing of a $20 million damages claim against the department Friday.
Jason Maccani, 36, was shot the afternoon of Feb. 3 inside a warehouse in the Skid Row area in the 600 block of Towne Avenue, west of Central Avenue. His family said he suffered from a bipolar disorder.
Police alleged the possibly intoxicated man was armed with a stick and was threatening employees of a manufacturing business. Officers encountered Maccani and deployed less-than-lethal munitions prior to shooting him, police said.
According to an LAPD statement after the shooting, “Once on the fourth floor, the officers observed the suspect inside the business and ordered him to exit with his hands up. The suspect initially complied, then turned and charged toward the officers with a white object protruding from the bottom of his clenched right hand, which was held at chest level.
“The officers deployed less lethal toward the suspect, which was ineffective. The suspect continued to advance toward the officers with the object still clenched in his right hand. The suspect grabbed one of the officers and the beanbag shotgun she was holding, resulting in an officer-involved shooting,” the department said.
Paramedics took Maccani to a hospital, where he died from his injuries, police said.
Police identified the officer involved in the shooting as LAPD Central Division Officer Caleb Garcia-Alamilla.
An officer suffered a minor laceration to his hand and was treated at the scene, officials said.
The LAPD released video of the encounter and the shooting this week, with Chief Michel Moore expressing some concern about officers’ handling of the situation. Moore said earlier that the person who originally called 911 to report the suspect’s actions falsely claimed that the man was armed, possibly in an effort to get a faster response from officers.
The damages claim announced by the family Friday is a precursor to a lawsuit. If the city rejects the claim, the family can then pursue legal action.
The LAPD by policy does not publicly comment on pending legal matters.