Graphic videos released last week depicting the deaths of two men while in the custody of the Los Angeles Police Department have intensified calls for increased oversight of the department’s handling of individuals experiencing mental health crises. The incidents occurred in July and have prompted questions about police training and the appropriateness of officers’ responses.
On July 15, Jose Carlos Hoyos-Munoz, 58, was arrested after an extended standoff involving crisis negotiators and SWAT officers. Family members had called police reporting that Hoyos-Munoz was brandishing a knife. After his arrest and transfer to a holding facility in the San Fernando Valley, footage shows detention officers attempting to fingerprint him. Officers are seen restraining him and placing a “spit sock” over his head to prevent biting or spitting, as officials later explained. The video captures officers wrestling Hoyos-Munoz onto a cot, where he is held face down with his hands cuffed behind his back. He was pronounced dead shortly after. Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of death.
Less than two weeks later, on July 29, officers fatally shot Alejandro Luis Garcia, 33, who was reported to have been swinging an aluminum baseball bat at pedestrians and vehicles on a Los Angeles sidewalk. Police video shows officers repeatedly instructing Garcia to drop the bat before opening fire.
Both deaths are currently under review by internal LAPD investigations as well as outside agencies, including Los Angeles County prosecutors. No criminal charges or disciplinary actions have been announced against the officers involved.
Los Angeles Police Department officials emphasized that officers often face rapidly evolving situations and must make split-second decisions to protect public safety. They noted that use of deadly force is permitted when officers reasonably perceive an imminent threat of death or serious injury.
Detention officers working in the city jails are civilian employees who receive some training in managing individuals with mental illness, while sworn LAPD officers undergo a minimum of 40 hours of mental health intervention training. The department’s policies also call for mental health professionals to accompany SWAT teams.
Mayor Karen Bass expressed concerns about the adequacy of police training for handling such crises, questioning whether officers have been sufficiently prepared. “What is the training?” she asked in an interview. “My impression is that it does not seem to be adequate.”
Family members of Hoyos-Munoz described him as a kind man who had cared for their mother after their father’s death several years ago. His brother, Jorge Hoyos, said he had struggled with mental health issues, had stopped taking prescribed medication the previous year due to side effects, and that the family had hoped police would help get him medical care rather than treating him as a criminal.
“We’re missing him,” Jorge Hoyos said, adding that they had not sought charges but rather assistance for his brother.
The release of the videos has reignited debate about how law enforcement agencies respond to individuals experiencing mental health emergencies and the need for enhanced oversight and reform.