Four times as many: Shootings by LAPD officers far outpace L.A. County deputies
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Shootings by Los Angeles police officers have increased dramatically this year, prompting Mayor Karen Bass to issue a statement Friday that said she is “deeply concerned” and seeking an explanation.LAPD officers have fired their weapons in 46 incidents so far this year — killing 14 people and wounding 23 others — a roughly 70% increase compared with 2024 and the highest annual shooting total by the department since 2015.
The uptick in LAPD shootings comes despite crime rates in the city continuing to fall, and with officers registering fewer interactions with members of the public than in previous years.The number of shootings by LAPD officers also stands in stark contrast to the similarly-sized L.A.County Sheriff’s Department, whose deputies have shot 11 people so far in 2025, killing nine of them.
The data appear to contradict the explanation given by LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, who has said his department’s rise in shootings is the result of heightened violence against law enforcement officers.In a video released Friday evening, McDonnell said he shared concerns over the recent uptick in shootings.“But when individuals put innocent lives in danger, it is our sworn duty to put ourselves between you and that overwhelming threat,” he said.At a meeting last month, several police commissioners asked the department to identify ways to reduce the use of deadly force and requested an in-depth look at how the LAPD’s shooting numbers compare with the Sheriff’s Department.
McDonnell assured the commission that a review will be done after the L.A.County data are made available to the LAPD.At a meeting Tuesday, LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said it would be “tough” to draw accurate comparisons because of how the statistics are compiled.
Without identifying Sheriff’s Department by name, Choi said that the LAPD had access to data on shootings only in which susp...