Los Angeles County prosecutors unsealed an indictment Friday in opposition to a former LAPD officer accountable for the 2015 on-duty capturing of an unarmed man in Venice.
The ex-cop, Clifford Proctor, pleaded not responsible to the costs throughout a quick listening to in a downtown courtroom.
Carrying an orange jumpsuit, Proctor, 60, leaned over a number of occasions to whisper to his legal professional however in any other case stated little throughout the listening to, a portion of which was held behind closed doorways. He waived a studying of the indictment. He’ll stay in custody with no bail, and is anticipated to return to court docket for a listening to early subsequent month.
Proctor’s lawyer, Anthony “Tony” Garcia, stated he would reserve remark till he’d had an opportunity to overview the case.
However he questioned the timing of the costs, which got here greater than a decade after the incident in query.
The L.A. County District Legal professional’s workplace reviewed the case when it was recent and “decided there was nothing to proceed,” Garcia stated.
Proctor was arrested at Los Angeles Worldwide Airport final week when U.S. Customs and Border Safety brokers observed he had an lively warrant. Proctor has been dwelling overseas for a number of years, based on sources who weren’t approved to talk publicly in regards to the pending case.
Proctor resigned from the LAPD in 2017. Whereas nonetheless with the division, he shot and killed Brendon Glenn, a 29-year-old homeless man, after a dispute exterior of a Venice bar in 2015. Glenn and his canine had been kicked out of the Financial institution of Venice restaurant for inflicting a disturbance.
Proctor and Glenn received into an argument and the officer ordered Glenn to go away the realm. Glenn responded by hurling a number of racial epithets at Proctor. Each males are Black, based on court docket data.
Glenn then received into an argument with a bouncer exterior of a special bar, and Proctor and his associate moved to make an arrest. In the course of the ensuing wrestle, Proctor shot Glenn twice within the again. Proctor alleged Glenn reached for his associate’s gun, however footage from the scene appeared to contradict that declare.
Glenn’s hand was by no means seen “on or close to any portion” of the holster, based on a report made by town’s Police Fee in 2016, and Proctor’s associate by no means made “any statements or actions” suggesting Glenn was making an attempt to take the gun.
Former LAPD Chief Charlie Beck known as for Proctor to be charged with manslaughter within the wake of public outrage over the killing, however ex-Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey declined to prosecute. After being elected on a police accountability platform in 2020, her successor, George Gascón employed a particular prosecutor to reexamine fees in opposition to a number of L.A. County legislation enforcement officers in on-duty killings, together with Glenn’s demise.
Final yr, sources instructed The Instances {that a} warrant had been issued for Proctor’s arrest. Gascón and his chosen particular prosecutor, Lawrence Middleton, repeatedly declined to touch upon the case.
Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman, who fired Middleton shortly after taking workplace final yr, has not given updates on the case. Hochman employed one other particular prosecutor, Michael Gennaco, to supervise Middleton’s pending instances.
Hochman’s urge for food to prosecute Proctor is unclear. He was usually important of Gascón’s resolution to make use of a particular prosecutor throughout the 2024 marketing campaign cycle, and Hochman’s shut ties to legislation enforcement have left some skeptical of his willingness to pursue troublesome instances involving on-duty misconduct.
