Police

Family of San Diego Area Grandmother Shot by Beanbag Round Questions LMPD's Footage

Leslie Furcron, 59, spent weeks in a medically induced coma after she was shot in the face by a beanbag round by La Mesa officers during a May 30 protest

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The family of the La Mesa grandmother notoriously struck in the head with a bean bag round during a protest outside the police department two months ago is questioning body camera video released by police.

“It’s just a terrible sight,” said victim Leslie Furcron’s son Azim Sanders. “I’m still traumatized by it, to see my mother in that situation and to see that happen to my mother, every time I watch that video, it stirs up a lot of different emotions in me.”

Sanders said the video isn’t just tough to stomach. He takes issue with the department precursing it with footage showing a fire at City Hall and rocks hitting officers – in both cases you can see how light it is outside, hours before Furcron arrives at the parking lot, which police say was around 8:15 p.m.

"You're being fed a story,” said Dante Pride, Furcron’s attorney. “The images depicted in the video weren’t even put in order.”

He, too, questions the 7-minute edited video montage released by LMPD.

“What it adds is their color commentary,” said Pride. “As to why this officer shot Ms. Furcron when he did.”

After nearly two months, La Mesa police have released body-camera video from the night 59-year-old Leslie Furcron was hit in the head with a bean-bag round from a police officer, which left her in a coma for days.

Both Pride and Sanders ask why police didn’t release body camera video from the deputies in the parking lot.

“We are seeing through a peephole what they want us to see,” Pride said. “They’re highlighting that one little instance. What we need is the panoramic view so we can really understand the situation going on at the time.”

In addition to releasing the body camera video, the LMPD released an edited video statement from Chief Walt Vasquez.

“The La Mesa Police Department is committed to making every effort to be open and transparent,” Vasquez said in the video. “I continue to pray for Ms. Furcron in hopes that she continues to heal and makes a full recovery.”

It’s a message Furcron’s son says fell flat.

"Praying is not enough when you are the one who has the power to be doing something about it,” said Sanders. “You don’t need to just be praying, you need to be taking action."

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