Police Chief: Teenager Shot by LA Cops Had Deathwish

The death of a teenager in a police shooting in Los Angeles started protests all across the city. Authorities identified the teenager, first mistaken for an adult man, as Daniel Perez. He died of multiple gunshot wounds.

According to the authorities, Perez left a ‘farewell note’ for his family before the fatal encounter. He then called U.S emergency hot-line and reported a man with a gun matching his own description.

According to recent reports, Perez confronted the officer who arrived at the scene and pointed the fake gun at him. Prompting the officer to shoot him several times.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said, “We believe that this officer-involved shooting was a result of his desire to end his own life,”

“We are deeply saddened by these events and my heart goes out to his family as well as to the officer involved in the shooting.”

LA spokeswoman  Norma Eisenman said that the fake gun used by Perez looks real because He painted its orange tip with black paint.

Fake guns legal

US lawmakers allow imitation firearms with the exception that they sport an orange tip to distinguish it from real guns. California lawmakers 2014, passed another bill requiring manufacturers to have more visible markings on the fake guns.

The officer involved in the fatal shoot-out of Perez had worn a body-camera that would prove his version of the encounter. The authorities however, have no intention of releasing the footage.

Perez fatal shoot out came after the encounter of another LA cop who shot dead an 18 year old black man, Carnell Snell Jr.

Both encounters led the city to protest due to the increasing numbers of fatal shootings involving black men. It also prompted a national debate on racism and excessive law enforcement.

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