D.A. Won't File Charges Against Officers in Ezell Ford Shooting

The District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday that no charges will be filed against two Los Angeles police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Ezell Ford, whose 2014 death has been a focal point of protests against the department over police shootings of black suspects.

In a 28-page report detailing its investigation into Ford's Aug. 11, 2014, shooting death, the District Attorney's Justice System Integrity Division concluded that Los Angeles police Officers Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas "acted lawfully in self-defense and in defense of others."

Ford's family, which sued the department over the shooting in 2015, contended that Ford was "mentally challenged" and wasn't doing anything wrong when he was approached by the offices.

In a statement, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said, "Our office has a daunting challenge each and every time there is an officer- involved shooting. In this case, we did everything we could to ensure a comprehensive investigation. Although the loss of Mr. Ford's life is tragic, we believe the officers' actions were legally justified and the evidence supports our decision."

Police and prosecutors said the two LAPD Newton Area gang enforcement officers approached Ford, 25, because he was acting suspiciously and may have been trying to discard an illegal substance. A struggle ensued.

"... The evidence indicates that Ford was on top of Wampler, struggling to obtain Wampler's primary service weapon and posing an immediate threat to his safety and his partner's safety," according to the District Attorney's Office report. "In fear for their lives, Villegas and Wampler each responded with deadly force."

Ford -- who was shot three times -- was taken to California Medical Center Hospital, where he died less than two hours later.

The front portion of Wampler's holster subsequently tested positive for Ford's "touch" DNA -- with the DN

A either coming from Ford's sweat, skin or saliva because the area tested negative for blood, according to the report.

"This corroborates that Ford's hand was touching Wampler's holster during this incident," prosecutors wrote in the report.

Blood stains on the front of Wampler's utility belt and uniform shirt are consistent with Ford lying on top of Wampler when he was shot, and Wampler's uniform appeared to have dirt on the back of the shirt and the pants, prosecutors wrote in the report.

Four witnesses made statements that differed substantially from the officers' accounts in several areas, with each saying that one or both of the officers were on top of Ford, according to the report.

"If Ford was on the ground and one or both officers were on top of him, it is unlikely that he would have gunshots to both his front and back," prosecutors wrote in the report.

Wampler had swelling to his right wrist that is consistent with an effort to push down on his handgun as Ford tried to get it out of the holster, according to the report.

Another witness who was unaware of Wampler's presence at the scene said she heard Villegas state, "Let go of the gun!" according to the report.

Villegas shot Ford twice, and Wampler pulled out his back-up weapon with his left hand, reached around Ford's body and shot him once in the back, prosecutors said.

The report comes after what the District Attorney's Office called a thorough and exhaustive review that included access to more than 1,000 pages of deposition transcripts of nine people whose testimony cannot be made public because of a federal court protective order.

"Although there were obstacles along the way, obtaining these statements was crucial to frame the entire picture of what happened the night Mr. Ford was shot," Lacey said.

The city Police Commission ruled in 2015 that one of the officers in the shooting was justified in opening fire, but the other violated department policy. The commission did not specify which officer acted improperly.

Ford's parents sued the city, but a tentative settlement was reached last last year.

According to the lawsuit filed in March 2015, Wampler and Villegas -- who were named defendants along with the city and LAPD -- "intentionally and/or negligently fatally shot unarmed decedent Ezell Ford multiple times with their firearms" after he had complied with their order to lie on the ground.

The officers knew Ford was "mentally challenged" and that he was not committing a crime at the time, the lawsuit stated.

The shooting prompted several protests and calls for a speedy and transparent investigation. Activists have argued that eyewitnesses dispute the police account of events.

Ford's shooting has been a rallying cry for police department critics who attend weekly Police Commission meetings and regularly decry shootings of black suspects by police.