Paramedics’ Actions Defended

The victim of an execution-style gang shooting in Hyde Park was dead when paramedics declared him beyond resuscitation and covered him with a sheet, and any movement after that was involuntary, fire officials said Thursday.

An angry crowd had demanded after the Wednesday night shooting that paramedics remove the sheet and attempt to revive Nahun Beaird, 21, after onlookers said they saw him move.

The paramedics, who had been loading a second victim in the ambulance, complied with the crowd’s request, but were unable to resuscitate Beaird, authorities said.

They took him to a downtown hospital, where a doctor pronounced him dead.

Bystander Patrick Evans, 21, was arrested on suspicion of interfering with the police after more than 60 officers rushed to the scene to quell the disturbance.

“We had someone who alleged there was movement so they went ahead and erred on the side of caution and tried to revive the patient,” Los Angeles Fire Chief William Bamattre told reporters.

“It was the best course of action,” he added, “even though they didn’t witness any movement, any breathing or neurological activity.”

Beaird had a gaping head wound and two bullets to the chest when paramedics first declared him dead, officials said.

He was not breathing, had no pulse and displayed no neurological reflexes.

Marc Eckstein, the Fire Department’s chief physician, said any gesture a bystander may have seen could have been the result of “involuntary, jerk-like movement.”

Under Los Angeles County health policy, a victim with a penetrating head wound, without pulse, who is not breathing and shows no neurological function can be declared dead by paramedics, who then can “withhold resuscitative efforts.”

Beaird was shot shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday outside an apartment complex in the 6300 block of 10th Avenue.

A second victim, a 31-year-old man whose name was not released, was in stable condition, police said.

Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief James McDonnell said the department had no suspects.

A second, nonfatal shooting occurred Thursday evening in the courtyard of a nearby apartment complex.

Officers again called for backup when a crowd of residents grew hostile and began throwing objects.

More than 200 officers responded in helmets, blocked off streets and ordered residents to remain in their homes.

Three men, including one whom police identified as a Nation of Islam minister, were arrested on suspicion of committing battery against two police officers after they “became very belligerent and uncooperative” when asked to move some vehicles, McDonnell said late Thursday.