Footage has surfaced on social media showing California police chasing and later killing a man with amputated legs.
Anthony Lowe Jr. was shot and killed last Thursday after officers with the Huntington Park Police Department responded to reports of a stabbing.
A video of the incident shows the moment police officers allegedly confronted Lowe, a double amputee, who was armed with a knife, according to People. He was moving away from officers and repeatedly waving the knife around when officers attempted to detain him, police said.
Huntington Park, California police officers shoot dead Anthony Lowe Jr, a double amputee man who tried to run away from them on the stumps of his legs. The cops said they were afraid Lowe would throw the knife he had at them. pic.twitter.com/y4FjqED4Hy
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) January 31, 2023
Lowe was reportedly shot at least 10 times and was declared dead at the scene, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Police have responded to public concerns surrounding the shooting.
“The suspect was tased at least twice by Huntington Park Officers but the deployment of the taser was ineffective. The suspect attempted to throw the butcher knife at the officers again, at which time an officer-involved shooting occurred,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said, according to the NY Post.
Lt. Hugo Reynaga confirmed that officers involved have been put on leave “for a few days” as they undergo a psychiatric evaluation, according to the LA Times. He also stated that while Lowe “did not throw the knife,” he was waving it over his head “like he was going to.”
“He tried to run away, and every time he turned around and did the motion like he was gonna throw the knife at him, they tased him,” Reynaga told the LA Times. “They were trying to give this guy the less-lethal taser shock. And because it was ineffective, they had to go to something that was more effective.” (RELATED: Police Tase Man As He Tries To Flee On Lawnmower)
Lowe’s family told the LA Times that he reportedly lost his legs after a previous encounter with Texas police.
“I’m heartbroken, and filled with anger and rage,” Tatiana Jackson, Lowe’s sister, told the Guardian. “I just can’t understand why they would do that to someone in a wheelchair. I want somebody to explain to me what was the reason that you had to gun down a guy who has no legs.”
Ebonique Simon, the mother of Lowe’s 15-year-old son, told the Guardian that the reason Lowe had a knife on him could have been “for protection” and he may have been running because he “was scared for his life.”
“I’m not going to let it go until there is justice for my son,” she told the Guardian. “How is a child going to feel about police now that you’ve gunned their father down?”