LOS ANGELES : Probe Finds No Improper Police Shootings in Riots

The Los Angeles Police Commission has determined that all officer-involved shootings during the spring riots were within department policy.

There were nine officer-involved shootings, six of them fatal, by Los Angeles police officers during the five days of unrest following the not-guilty verdicts in the Rodney G. King beating case.

“I would say that they exercised remarkable restraint, and did not resort to force too quickly,” Police Commission President Jesse Brewer said. “There were a lot of guns out there. There were a lot of people armed and a lot of people shooting at officers.”

However, the commission criticized officers for a variety of tactical errors during the riots--such as for positioning themselves poorly, failing to call for backup or not communicating clearly with their partners.