Fatal Police Shooting Justified, Jury Finds
A jury found Thursday that two Los Angeles Police Department officers used justifiable force in the 1997 shooting death of a Gardena man who fled from police after an attempted traffic stop.
At issue during the five-day trial in Los Angeles Superior Court was whether Darryl Hawkins, a 26-year-old security guard, was carrying a weapon when he was shot by officers in 1997. Defense attorneys argued that Hawkins fled onto the Harbor Freeway after officers tried to pull him over for speeding and driving with an expired registration. Officers testified that they fired when he aimed an AK-47 at them.
Attorneys for Hawkins’ family said he was in possession of the rifle, but it was in his car trunk.
The verdict in the wrongful-death lawsuit was 10 to 2 in favor of the defendants.
The defendants in the case, Officers Zachary Hutchings and Ronald K. Moy of the South Bureau Traffic Division, had been cleared of any wrongdoing by an internal Police Department investigation.
Frank Lozoya, one of the plaintiff attorneys, said an appeal will most likely be filed.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
