In a first, LAPD officers could lose their certification over an improper shooting

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In a first, California’s police accreditation body is weighing whether to strip two LAPD officers of their license to carry a badge over a controversial shooting.The officers, José Zavala and Julio Quintanilla, shot and killed a suicidal man armed with a knife in 2021.A civilian advisory board for the Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training, or POST, determined there was “clear and convincing evidence” that Zavala and Quintanilla used excessive force on the man, Margarito Lopez Jr., who didn’t appear to pose a danger to anyone other than himself.

Members of the panel recommended the officers’ certifications be suspended or revoked outright.“Even if it’s this late, the good news is that these cops might lose their benefits as police officers and they won’t be terrorizing the community anymore,” said Luis Carrillo, an attorney for Lopez’s family.The final decision will be made by the full commission, which is expected to take up the case next month.If POST rules against the officers, they still can appeal to an administrative law judge.

The commission has reviewed other cases involving officers from around the state accused of misconduct, among them several from the LAPD, including a former homicide detective repeatedly arrested on drunk driving charges and a detective accused of purchasing a possible silencer from China.California An LAPD review panel found that two officers violated department policy when they fatally shot an apparently suicidal man, whose sister had called 911 because she was afraid that he might hurt himself.But this appears to be the first instance of officers facing possible decertification because of an on-duty shooting.For decades, California had some of the strongest legal protections for law enforcement officers in the country, at times allowing those who engaged in serious misconduct to quietly quit and find jobs ...