LAPD releases body-camera footage of man's death in LA custody

Mayor Karen Bass calls for independent evaluation into officer-involved deaths

The Los Angeles Police Department on Friday released body-camera footage showing officers beating and restraining a handcuffed man, Jose Carlos Hoyoz-Munoz, in the minutes before he was found dead in a jail cell on July 15. The footage also shows the fatal shooting of a second man, 33-year-old Alejandro Luis Garcia, whom officers shot after he allegedly shattered car windows with a baseball bat.

The video shows Hoyoz-Munoz flapping what appeared to be a piece of cloth against the window of his holding cell at the Van Nuys regional jail. Several officers entered the cell and pinned him to the ground. The department described the restraint as being prompted by Hoyoz-Munoz’s “combative” behavior as they sought to fingerprint him.

Officers placed Hoyoz-Munoz in a harnessed chair and used it to transport him to the booking stalls. Police again used the weight of their bodies to restrain him, citing resistance. The department said Hoyoz-Munoz spat at officers, after which they placed a spit hood over his face.

Hoyoz-Munoz was escorted back to his cell, still handcuffed, with the spit hood partly covering his face and his pants sagging down to his ankles, exposing his backside. After he climbed on top of a toilet, officers again entered the cell and moved him to the cell bed, piling on top of him as he was positioned face down. The department said officers conducted wellness checks for 20 minutes afterward, during which he appeared to exhibit signs of life. An officer later saw Hoyoz-Munoz was not moving; he was found unconscious and not breathing.

At the time of his death, the LAPD had said two use-of-force incidents had occurred, without specifying the nature. In the video released Friday, the department said three use-of-force incidents occurred.

Hoyoz-Munoz had been arrested on July 13 after police received a call about a suspected assault with a deadly weapon. He allegedly injured his mother and another relative with a knife. An officer who arrived at the scene encountered his mother with a laceration on her arm. “He has lost his mind. He’s gone crazy,” she said in Spanish. Another family member had a wound on his arm.

An hours-long standoff with law enforcement followed, during which SWAT agents deployed teargas. Hoyoz-Munoz was eventually located in the residence, kneeling before a piano as he touched the keys and spoke of religion.

Mayor Karen Bass described both videos as difficult to watch in a Friday statement. “People who experience behavioral or mental health crises often do not receive the proper care they desperately need,” Bass said. “Without it, they can deteriorate into behavior that can result in severe injury or death.” Bass added: “We must rigorously examine whether our policies, training, tactics, supervision and accountability systems are sufficient.”