Los Angeles, Ca
'What's the justification?' Officer in Southern California punches man after fatally shooting him
New video taken moments after police fatally shot a man in San Bernardino County Tuesday shows an officer violently striking the suspect in the face three times after he had been shot and was on the ground.
The deadly encounter occurred when an officer with the Fontana Police Department responded to the area of Chery Avenue and Baseline Road just before 2:20 p.m. on reports of a man armed with a metal pole assaulting a person and damaging property.
Authorities say the suspect, now identified as 44-year-old Fontana resident Jesus Garcia, also smashed computers and registers in a nearby AutoZone.
Police say the responding officer attempted to de-escalate the situation, but the man refused multiple commands to drop the weapon and surrender.
“During the encounter, the suspect attacked the officer with the pipe, resulting in a lethal force response from the officer,” a Fontana PD news release stated.
“It was like four or five shots that caught my attention and then I got out of my car and saw a person on the floor,” Arturo Garcia who witnessed the beating in the parking lot told KTLA.
Footage of the incident shows the 44-year-old suspect on the ground in the parking lot writhing from one side to another on his back after being shot. An officer is then seen putting on gloves and telling Garcia to get on his stomach.
As he attempts to get on his stomach, the officer steps over him, rolls him onto his back and strikes him in the face three times until Garcia goes completely limp.
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A Fontana police officer seen striking a suspect on the ground on Sept. 24, 2024. (Ailah Ponla) -
Fontana police seen putting on gloves and striking a suspect in the face after he had already been shot on Sept. 24, 2024. (viewer pic) -
Police in Fontana seen rendering aid to a suspect after fatally shooting him, striking him in the face and handcuffing him on Sept. 24, 2024. (viewer pic) -
An image from a Fontana police officer’s body-cam that shows the suspect attempting to attack an officer on Sept. 24, 2024. (FPD) -
A Fontana police cruiser seen with evidence markers after the vehicle and officer were attacked by a suspect armed with a metal pole on Sept. 24, 2024.
“I can’t comment on whether it was appropriate or not,” Steve Reed, with the Fontana Police Department, told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson. “When we’re trying to detain someone, we have to take the force necessary to make that detention. Like I said, from the video, it appears he was actively resisting.”
Officials at the police department said they were aware of videos circulating on social media showing the beating after Garcia was shot and added that the video only showed a portion of the incident.
“It is important to note that this video only shows a small portion of the event in its entirety. The Fontana Police Department is conducting an internal administrative investigation into the entirety of the incident,” a Fontana PD news release stated.
Reserve officer Dennis Zine has worked in law enforcement for more than 55 years and believes the shooting portion of the encounter was likely justified because the suspect attacked the officer.
It’s what happened before the officer eventually handcuffed the 44-year-old and rendered aid that he feels puts the officer’s actions into question.
“The individual was neutralized, he’s no longer a threat to you,” Zine explained. “The man is on the ground, he has no weapons in his hands. What’s the justification for striking?”
The 44-year-old was later taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
The officer was also taken to the hospital for injuries sustained during the ordeal, though the extent of his injuries and current condition are unclear.
Per protocol, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department will handle the investigation into the incident.
Authorities discovered millions of dollars worth of counterfeit luxury goods in a downtown Los Angeles bust.
On May 14, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at two locations — a retail store in the 500 Block of South Los Angeles Street and a commercial warehouse in the 500 Block of Main Street.
Inside the warehouse, deputies found a significant amount of counterfeit luxury merchandise. In total, the retail value of the goods was estimated between $5 million and $10 million.
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Authorities discovered a warehouse filled with counterfeit luxury goods worth an estimated $5-$10 million in a downtown Los Angeles bust operation on May 14, 2026. (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)
Two unidentified suspects, a man and a woman, were taken into custody.
“This remains an active investigation,” LASD said. “Additional arrests or charges are possible as the case progresses.”
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call LASD’s Major Crimes Bureau’s Tip Line at 562-946-7893.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
At least one person was critically injured in a house fire that erupted in Montebello early Thursday morning.
Crews responded to the blaze engulfing a detached unit in the 100 block of South 5th Street near West Whittier Boulevard around 5 a.m.
Flames quickly spread to a nearby electrical pole, blowing a fuse and knocking out power in the area. Sparks could be seen as a loud pop was heard in a Citizen.com video later obtained by KTLA.
At least one person was believed to be in critical condition due to burn injuries, though officials have not released further details.
There was no immediate word on a possible cause of the fire.
A neighbor told KTLA that three people lived inside the home, including a child.
This is a developing story.
Authorities revealed new details Wednesday afternoon about the violent Santa Clarita crash involving a city transit bus, an overturned semi truck and two other vehicles that left 13 people injured.
According to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the driver of a semi truck hauling a full load of gravel may have been traveling as fast as 70 mph when the vehicle approached a yellow light at the intersection of Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway around 9:30 a.m.
Investigators said the driver then attempted to make a right turn to avoid running the red light before crashing into the bus and two passenger vehicles.
“[The driver] tried to make a right-hand turn to avoid running the red light and then crashed into the bus and the other two passenger vehicles,” Capt. Brandon Barclay of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told KTLA.
Officials noted that the speed limit on Golden Valley Road is 50 mph.
Sky5 aerial footage showed the heavily damaged Santa Clarita Transit bus pushed onto a curb while the semi truck overturned nearby, and another vehicle appeared pinned beneath the front right side of the bus.
“When you look at it, it looks like a scene from Universal CityWalk,” Barclay said.
Authorities said 13 people were injured in the crash.
One passenger seated in the back of the bus had to be freed using the Jaws of Life and remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, KTLA’s Angeli Kakade reported.
Seven additional people were transported to hospitals while five others declined medical treatment at the scene.
“You have a bus that was hit by a semi truck, so it’s very impactful for this community,” Barclay added.
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Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA)
Former Santa Clarita transit bus driver Darryl Richardson said he was stunned when he saw the aftermath of the crash.
“I know how a person feels to see a big old truck coming right at you,” Richardson told KTLA. “Thank God if it had broadsided the driver, we’d be talking about a different conversation right now.”
The City of Santa Clarita said road closures around the crash scene were expected to continue for several hours as deputies investigated what led up to the collision.
All directions of Centre Pointe Parkway between Golden Valley Road and Ruether Avenue remained closed Wednesday afternoon. Eastbound Golden Valley Road was also shut down from Robert C. Lee Parkway to Centre Pointe Parkway.
Drivers were urged to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
The crash remains under investigation.
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