A 30-year-old man was shot and killed by a security guard Sunday afternoon in a Home Depot parking lot in South Los Angeles as he tried to flee a suspected assault suspect, Los Angeles police said.
Carlos Lara, 30, of Los Angeles, died in the store's parking lot. Police said the security guard allegedly tried to restrain Lara after he assaulted someone. Lara got into his car and tried to drive away before he was shot.
“As a security guard, you are here to monitor and report. It’s not to kill,” said Rubi Orisco, a childhood friend of Lara.
Orizco was one of several friends and loved ones who gathered at the scene of the shooting Monday. Candles, notes and flowers were left at the location in memory of Lara.
“I will miss him,” she said, calling him the lifeblood of the party.
Under California law, security guards are properly authorized to carry concealed and may be armed when performing within the scope of their duties. Crimes can be stopped, but force cannot be used.
“These days, security guards are in the business of intimidation more than anything else,” said NBCLA legal analyst Royal Oaks. “They have a duty to report what happened and take reasonable steps to stop people. But those reasonable steps do not include firing at fleeing suspects. do not have.
“For security guards, the frustration is insane. Because security guards know that if they do something to stop someone, they can get into a lot of trouble. They could be charged with assault. And obviously, if they fire their guns, they themselves could be liable for wrongful death or assault. ”
Even if the security guard is legally armed, the law says someone's life must be in danger to justify shooting.
“The fact that the suspect was actually fleeing in a vehicle means that it is very difficult to prove that he was in a position to harm, injure or kill another person,” Oakes said. Ta.
Police said the guard was detained and later released. Oakes said this is likely because the investigation is not yet complete and they are still looking into what happened before the shooting and whether anyone's life was in danger.
“The real lesson from a situation like this is that whether you're a security guard or a customer, if you don't get involved, you can get into big trouble,” Oakes advised. “The best option is to take a video with your cell phone so you can testify to what happened.”
