LAPD releases videos of two officer-involved deaths

The Los Angeles Police Department released security camera footage of two officer-involved deaths: Jose Carlos Hoyos-Munoz, 58, who was handcuffed, hooded, and repeatedly restrained in a Van Nuys Regional Jail cell before he died, and Alejandro Luis Garcia, 33, who was fatally shot after advancing toward officers with a metal bat. Officials say Hoyos-Munoz spit at officers and became combative, prompting a hood to be placed over his head, while Garcia reportedly refused to drop the bat after smashing vehicles. In response to the incidents, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced an independent review of LAPD killings involving people in mental distress, citing long-standing gaps in mental health crisis training and disinvestment in community services. The videos have intensified scrutiny of police use of force in mental health crises and raised questions about training, accountability, and transparency. The cases underscore ongoing tensions between public safety policing and the need for better crisis intervention efforts.