Former LAPD officer charged with murder in fatal 2015 shooting of homeless man in Venice
Former LAPD Officer Indicted in 2015 Venice Shooting Death of Unarmed Homeless Man
LOS ANGELES — A grand jury indictment was unsealed Friday, charging a former Los Angeles police officer in the May 2015 shooting death of an unarmed homeless man in Venice, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office announced.
Clifford Proctor pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder. Brendan Glenn, 29, was killed during a struggle with officers outside a bar where he had reportedly fought with a bouncer. Glenn’s name became a rallying cry against police shootings in Los Angeles. Both Glenn and Proctor are Black.
The office of the current LA District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, stated that the indictment follows a review by the previous district attorney, George Gascón. Gascón reexamined four use-of-force cases involving law enforcement officers, including Proctor’s case. Hochman, who replaced Gascón after November’s election, will review the case and decide whether to proceed with the prosecution.
Proctor’s lawyer, Anthony “Tony” Garcia, questioned the timing of the charges. He also noted that prosecutors had declined to charge his client in 2018, according to reports from the Times. At that time, then-LA District Attorney Jackie Lacey declined to press charges, citing insufficient evidence to prove Proctor acted unlawfully when he used deadly force.
Details from the police investigation indicate that Glenn was on his stomach and attempting to push himself up when Proctor shot him in the back. Glenn was not attempting to take a gun from either Proctor or his partner when he was shot. Furthermore, Proctor’s partner told investigators that he did not know why Proctor opened fire.
Proctor resigned from the Los Angeles Police Department in 2017. The city later paid $4 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Glenn’s relatives.
Proctor, now 60, remains in jail. His next court date is scheduled for November 3.
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