Officer Involved Shooting in Newton Division NRF049-23ne

September 20, 2023 NRF049-23rc

UPDATE

The officer involved in the below incident has been identified as Police Officer II Steven Martinez, Serial No. 41024 assigned to Newton Division.

**The following information is based on a preliminary and ongoing investigation, which continues to evolve as investigators interview witnesses, review physical and electronic records, and analyze forensic evidence. The Department’s understanding of the facts and circumstances may change as additional evidence is collected and analyzed**

Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Force Investigation Division is investigating an Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) that occurred in Newton Division.

On September 15, 2023, at around 12:09 p.m., Newton Division uniformed officers responded to a radio call of a “Hot Prowl Burglary,” located at 1100 block of East 33rd Street. Shortly thereafter, details of the call were updated, indicating that four male suspects entered an apartment, bound and gagged the victim and stole the keys to his vehicle.

As responding officers arrived, two of the four suspects, later identified as Justice Lockhart and Aaron Felnoy were taken into custody without incident. The third suspect, later identified as Jeffrey Askew, was observed by the Air Unit, on the roof of the apartment building. Askew jumped off the building and landed on the roof of an adjacent single-story structure. Askew then fell from the roof of that structure and landed on a cement walkway between the two buildings. As officers approached Askew to take him into custody and render aid, he reached into his front waistband and removed what officers believed to be a firearm. Askew then appeared to point the object in the officers’ direction, resulting in an Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) and simultaneous deployment of a 40mm Less-Lethal Launcher.

Askew was struck by gunfire and was taken into custody without further incident. Due to the unknown whereabouts of the fourth suspect later identified as Daiyann Henderson, officers carried Askew out of the immediate area, rendered medical aid, and ultimately brought him to Los Angeles City Fire Department paramedics, who were staged nearby. Askew was then transported by rescue ambulance to Los Angeles General Medical Center, where he was listed in critical but stable condition.

Several minutes later, Henderson attempted to escape the perimeter by changing clothes and exiting the front of the apartment complex. He was subsequently observed by officers and was taken into custody without incident.

The object that was observed in Askew’s hand at the time of the OIS, later determined to be a hammer with an overall length of 6 ½ inches, was recovered and booked as evidence.

No officers or other community members were injured during the incident.

Force Investigation Division (FID) and Robbery Homicide Division (RHD) detectives responded to the scene and are investigating this incident. The complete investigation will be reviewed by the Chief of Police, the Board of Police Commissioners, and the Office of the Inspector General to determine the thoroughness and accuracy of the investigation and whether the use of deadly force complied with LAPD’s policies and procedures.