LA demands answers from Burbank after video shows officers 'dumping' homeless man
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday is demanding answers and accountability from Burbank officials over a video that shows two police officers "dumping" a homeless man in the city of L.A.
Council members voted 13-0 in favor of a motion that calls on the L.A. County District Attorney, the L.A. City Attorney and state attorney general to investigate the matter and the ongoing alleged practice of dumping homeless people in another jurisdiction.
The motion was sponsored by City Council President Paul Krekorian and Councilwoman Imelda Padilla.
The motion also demands answers from the Burbank Police Department on its policies regarding homeless people.
No further discussion was held.
Councilmembers Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Kevin de Leon were absent during the vote.
In response to L.A.'s motion, Burbank officials issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying they welcome any investigation and are in the process of conducting their own "rigorous internal investigation.''
"As images depicted on video don't always relay the entire situation, the city of Burbank cautions against inflammatory rhetoric and a rush to judgment without the benefits of the investigation findings,'' Burbank's statement continued.
Krekorian's office released the video earlier this month. The incident happened outside Krekorian's district office in North Hollywood on Lankershim Boulevard.
The footage shows two Burbank police officers pull up in a patrol vehicle before taking a barefoot homeless man out of the car. They remove his handcuffs then leave him on the sidewalk.
Krekorian said the homeless man was clearly experiencing a mental health crisis as well as physical injuries.
"The issue really is: What is the policy that Burbank has adopted?" he told ABC7 on Tuesday. "Does their police department have a policy of moving people out of their city rather than addressing the situation that they're facing?"
According to Krekorian, the man was seeking medical attention for a broken leg at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. When he became unruly, the hospital called police who did something that has long been assumed neighboring cities do but has rarely been captured on video.
"The Burbank Police Department, putting this man in handcuffs and taking him to the city of Los Angeles where someone else will deal with it, and obviously this is callous, cruel, inhumane and also fundamentally irresponsible," said Krekorian earlier this month.
The Burbank Police Department declined to speak with ABC7 on camera Tuesday and instead referred to a statement it released earlier this month.
Police said officers were initially called to the hospital for reports of a naked man at a bus stop. They say the man eventually got dressed, got into the patrol vehicle and asked to be dropped off in the North Hollywood area.
The department says it is conducting an in-depth investigation.
"As the individual did not appear to have transportation, and to gain cooperation for the individual to put on clothing, the officers offered to drive the individual to a place of his choosing," read the statement from police. "Initially, the individual asked to be taken to Sunland/Tujunga and ultimately agreed to be transported to the Metro Red Line in North Hollywood. He voluntarily got into the patrol vehicle and was driven towards the Metro Red Line station. Along the way, the individual asked to be let out of the patrol vehicle to get coffee. The officers complied immediately with his request, pulled over, and let the individual out of the patrol vehicle in the 5200 block of Lankershim Boulevard."
The statement continued, saying, "The Burbank Police Department remains committed to treating the unhoused community with compassion and respect, and thanks Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian for bringing this matter to our attention."
Police did not address why the man was in handcuffs.
The council president said he's outraged because the city of L.A. spends $1 billion a year to address homelessness, a regional and national problem (not just a city issue) that continues to get worse.
City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report.
