Family of Long Beach man gunned down by police outside church demands accountability
LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- One week after Brandon Boyd was shot and killed on the steps of his community church, his family, alongside the Black Lives Matter group of Long Beach, are demanding accountability, saying Boyd was experiencing mental health distress.
Tiffany Boyd, who wasn't present when her brother died, shared a statement from the family during a press conference Tuesday, at the same place where Brandon was killed.
"He was peaceful and in need of help. Despite this, the police decided to escalate the situation by deploying a flash grenade, a violent and unnecessary act that led to the fatal shooting of my big brother," she said.
On Tuesday, Nov. 19, AIR7 was the only news helicopter overhead when Long Beach Police used the flashbang near the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and 52nd St.
The video shows Boyd sitting just before the smoke erupts with something in his hand. Police released a photo of the firearm officers said they recovered from the scene.
One officer was injured with a gunshot wound to the arm. Boyd was killed.
"He's leaving behind six children who will now grow up without a father," the victim's sister said.
The Long Beach Police Department issued the following statement on Tuesday.
"The Long Beach Police Department is committed to transparency as we investigate the officer-involved shooting that occurred on Nov. 19, 2024 in the 5200 block of Atlantic Avenue.
That day, officers responded to a text to 9-1-1 call for service about a man with a gun in front of a church. Upon arrival, officers located the man described in the text to 9-1-1 message. He stated he was the one who sent the message. Officers observed him near a possible firearm, and upon further investigation, confirmed he was in possession of one.
After over two and a half hours of attempted de-escalation and in an effort to separate the suspect from the firearm, officers deployed less-lethal foam projectiles and a flashbang, as a diversionary tactic. The suspect pointed the firearm at officers, resulting in an exchange of gunfire between officers and the suspect.
Following the officer-involved shooting, three subjects entered the crime scene and refused to comply with officers' commands to exit the scene. Two subjects were arrested for obstructing of a police officer, and an additional subject was arrested for obstructing a police officer and battery on a police officer.
One officer was injured and transported to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the arm.
The suspect was determined deceased at the scene despite life-saving efforts by police officers and Long Beach Fire Department personnel.
A multi-level review of this incident is ongoing. The LBPD anticipates releasing body-worn camera footage from the incident in the near future. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office is also reviewing the incident, consistent will all officer-involved shootings."
Family said Boyd himself originally contacted police to get help as he struggled through a mental health crisis. Boyd's other sister, Tyerra Boyd, said instead, her brother was met with excessive force and she, her sister and niece were beaten and arrested.
"After they gunned Brandon down in front of me, the police turned their violence on me, my sister and my niece. We were begging them to stop, but instead of showing us a shred of humanity, they brutalized us," the sister said.
With Audrena Redmond of Black Lives Matter Long Beach standing by their side, Boyd's family demanded the release of the 9-1-1 call, the names of the four officers involved, police body camera footage, and charges be dropped against Boyd's family who were arrested that night.
"We want to charge the officers who killed Brandon with what they did which is murder. That flash-grenade set it all off. That is not a thing you do when someone has called you and said they're in mental distress," Redmond said.
Boyd's family and the Black Lives Matter group also demanded to know what sort of oversight the mayor's office had over the LBPD.
Eyewitness News reached out to the office of Mayor Rex Richardson, but has not heard back.
Boyd's loved ones also asked for a review of the LBPD's policies and protocols for mental health crisis calls.
