The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said Thursday it found a group of LAPD officers were justified in shooting a man who appeared to be armed during a multi-hour car chase in 2015 that ended in El Monte.
A total of six officers fired during two confrontations with Raul Martinez during the pursuit on June 19, 2015, and prosecutors said in a letter to the LAPD, it concluded they, "acted lawfully under the circumstances."
Martinez was holding a handgun both times officers fired, according to a District Attorney's Office review of the case.
The gun turned out to be a black Crossman BB gun that looked similar to a firearm, the DA said.
Martinez survived the shootings and later admitted he was hoping officers would kill him, according to the review.
The chase began after officers were called to a domestic violence incident in South L.A. and Martinez fled in a minivan.
A woman told the officers she'd been, "strangled," by Martinez, and that he was possibly under the influence of methamphetamine.
After the shooting, Martinez told police, "I will admit that I was trying to do suicide by cop," according to the DA's review.
-- Eric Leonard (@LeonardFiles)