The Los Angeles Police Department has released security footage depicting officers repeatedly striking a man who later died in a San Fernando Valley jail cell, prompting Mayor Karen Bass to call for an independent review of police actions in cases involving individuals experiencing mental distress.
LAPD officials stated that officers at the Van Nuys Regional Jail used force on Jose Carlos Hoyos-Munoz, 58, after he allegedly became uncooperative and spat at them. The released video shows multiple officers converging on Hoyos-Munoz, striking him while he was restrained and handcuffed. After Hoyos-Munoz spat on officers, a hood was placed over his head, and he was left in a prone position with his hands behind his back. Shortly thereafter, officers returned to find him unconscious and not breathing; he was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The incident, along with a separate fatal police shooting, led Mayor Bass to issue a statement expressing profound concern. "Decades of disinvestment in community-based mental and behavioral health services have left too many Angelenos without access to timely and appropriate care, increasing the likelihood that people in crisis will come into contact with law enforcement," Bass said. She emphasized that officers are not adequately trained or equipped to be the primary responders to mental health crises.
Mayor Bass announced an executive order authorizing an independent evaluation of officer-involved deaths and severe injuries, with a particular focus on incidents involving individuals in crisis. This review aims to identify systemic weaknesses in policies, training, tactics, supervision, and accountability systems, and will also examine mental health support for officers following critical incidents.
Hoyos-Munoz was booked into the jail on July 15, two days after an incident at his family's home where Devonshire Division officers responded to a report of him allegedly stabbing two relatives, who sustained minor injuries. After SWAT deployed tear gas and entered the residence to arrest him, Hoyos-Munoz was taken to a hospital for tear gas exposure before being booked into the Valley jail. Body-worn camera footage showed him appearing calm upon arrival at the facility.
The Medical Examiner's office has deferred its decision on the cause and manner of Hoyos-Munoz's death pending further investigation. The incident will also be investigated by the state's In-Custody Death Review Division. Separately, the LAPD also released footage of the fatal shooting of Alejandro Garcia, 33, who was allegedly smashing car windows with a baseball bat before officers opened fire. The released video appears to contradict an earlier LAPD statement regarding the circumstances of Garcia's shooting.
