Hundreds of people marched in South LA Thursday to protest the shooting death of an unarmed, mentally challenged black man by Los Angeles Police.
Ezell Ford, 25, was shot and killed Monday during an altercation with two LAPD officers.
"Here we got Ezell Ford, a 25-year-old young man, special needs, shot down for no reason. No reason. This has to stop," activist Keith James said.
According to police, Ford ignored the officers who had tried to make an investigative stop near 65th Street and Broadway. Police said that Ford attempted to take one of their guns, and that both officers fired shots.
Ford was unarmed and posed no threat, family members said.
"My brother was a good guy, all he wanted to do was walk up the street and smoke cigarettes," the victim’s younger brother Lavell Ford said. "He was in his own world. He had special needs, and he didn't deserve this."
Family, friends and activists retraced Ford’s last steps, chanting "Hands up. Don’t shoot!" during Thursday evening’s march that ended outside the police station.
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"We need some justice, some answers," Lavell Ford said.
The victim’s brother told NBC4 that their mother is in shock.
“My mom is hurt, (police) took a piece of my mom too...they don’t even kill animals. They taze animals. And pepper spray animals. And they give them another shot at life,” Lavell Ford said. “My mom would have been happy with him coming home with a busted head, broken arms, tazed, anything. Anything but this."
LAPD Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger said the department would conduct an urgent and transparent investigation into the officer-involved shooting. He urged anyone who witnessed the Ford shooting to come forward.
Activists plan to rally outside LAPD headquarters in downtown LA Sunday.
