Bodycam Video Shows Man Charging LAPD Officers with Pole Saw Before Fatal Shooting
Newly released footage captures the tense confrontation in Boyle Heights where officers repeatedly warned the suspect to drop the weapon before opening fire.
Dramatic bodycam footage has emerged showing the moment a man, identified as 44-year-old Zimran Canas, charged Los Angeles police officers with a pole saw before being fatally shot on September 7. The confrontation occurred in Boyle Heights.
In the video, officers are heard repeatedly pleading with Canas to drop the tool, which featured an 8-foot extension and a foot-long serrated blade. "Put that down, man," one officer can be heard saying as Canas emerged from the front gate of a residence. "Put it down, brother," another officer urged, as officers drew their firearms.
As Canas advanced towards the officers, who were retreating and continuing to order him to drop the weapon, he quickened his pace. Gunshots then erupted, and Canas collapsed to the ground.
The two officers involved in the incident have been identified as Juan Laguna and Brandon Barnett, both assigned to the LAPD's Hollenbeck Division. After the shooting, officers provided medical aid to Canas before paramedics transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The incident began around 10 a.m. when officers responded to a call reporting a man experiencing a mental health crisis and armed with a metal pipe in the 600 block of Gillette Street. A family member reportedly met officers outside Canas' residence and directed them to his location.
Investigators recovered the pole saw and a metal pipe from the scene. No officers or bystanders sustained injuries during the encounter. The LAPD has stated that its investigation into the shooting is ongoing.