“Examining the Tragic Consequences of Police-Involved Shooting of Huntington Park Stabbing Suspect”

HUNTINGTON PARK, Calif. (AP) — Authorities on Monday released audio and video related to police’s fatal shooting of a stabbing suspect last month near Los Angeles, while the man who was stabbed said the attack was accidental and he initially thought he had just been punched before realizing he was bleeding.

The stabbing victim was interviewed by Fox 11 in a hospital room where he continued his recovery after being attacked by a wheelchair user on January 26 in the city of Huntington Park.

The Huntington Park Police Department released 911 calls related to the stabbing, as well as surveillance video of the moments before responding officers opened fire on the suspect, who they said threatened them with a large knife. The suspect, later identified as Anthony Lowe, was shot in the chest and died at the scene.

Police Chief Cosme Lozano said his agency is working with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which is leading the investigation into the shootings.

“I emphasize that the release of the video and audio recordings is aimed at promoting full disclosure and transparency of the events from beginning to end,” Lozano said during a news conference.

The victim, a warehouse worker and father of four, asked to be identified by his first name, Ramiro, the news channel said.

Ramiro described a random attack on a sidewalk in which he thought for a moment he had just been hit and then realized his wound was much worse. Ramiro said he was crossing a street when he saw a man with amputated knees getting out of his wheelchair. Ramiro said the man asked him if he was okay.

“I turn and look at him and I say ‘yes,’” Ramiro said. “And then he just hit me.”

Ramiro said he didn’t spot the knife at first but then saw blood pouring from his armpit.

Surveillance video of the stabbing appears to support statements the victim made to an 911 call and then to Fox 11. It shows Ramiro walking past a gas station when he is approached by a man who has both legs amputated at the knees. The man punches Ramiro in the side and then runs away.

When responding officers approached the suspect minutes later, he drew a 12-inch knife and attempted to throw it at them, according to a sheriff’s department.

Officers used a stun gun on him, and the man tried to throw the knife again, “at which point a shootout involving officers broke out,” the statement said.

Mobile phone video shared on Twitter showed the suspect leaving the wheelchair and climbing down the sidewalk, followed by officers with guns drawn. The shooting cannot be seen on cell phone video or on surveillance footage that has been made public.

The time between the stabbing and the shooting by officers was about 7 minutes, Lozano said. Huntington Park officers don’t use body cameras, the chief said.

Officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing.

Ramiro said the knife punctured his lung and collapsed, but doctors feared it may have hit his heart as well.

Fox 11 reported that Ramiro said he felt sorry for the stabbing suspect’s family but had no sympathy for the suspect.

“I’m the victim,” he said. “Why should I feel sorry for someone who does something like that?”

Lowe’s family and community activists held a press conference last week calling for the officers who killed him to be prosecuted. At another news conference Monday, lawyers for Lowe’s relatives questioned the officers’ decision to open fire.

“Certainly there were non-lethal options. He wasn’t going anywhere,” attorney Eric Dubin said.

Lowe’s older sister, Yatoya Toy, said last week that Anthony’s legs were amputated after an altercation with Texas police last year, the Los Angeles Times reported. The family, she said, also have questions about the incident.

Sheriff’s officers had no further details on the Huntington Park investigation Monday. The sheriff’s department and district attorney’s office typically investigate county law enforcement shootings to determine if officers need to face disciplinary action or criminal charges.

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