FBI will investigate deadly police-involved shooting of California teen
The FBI said Friday it will review the shooting death of 18-year-old Andres Guardado at the hands of Los Angeles County deputies.
“FBI Los Angeles is aware of the death of Andres Guardado and will review all available evidence to determine what federal response is warranted,” a spokesperson for the FBI Los Angeles Field Office told CNN.
Guardado was killed on June 18 near an auto body shop in Gardena, California.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Captain Kurt Wegener said last month that Guardado “reportedly looked toward the deputies” and “produced a handgun” before running down the driveway of the business.
The deputies pursued Guardado and caught up to him at the rear of the business, where one deputy fired six rounds, Wegener said.
An independent autopsy ordered by Guardado’s family found the teen was shot five times in the back. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office came to the same conclusion. Guardado’s manner of death was certified a homicide.
The Guardado family has complained about a lack of transparency and information from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which had put a “security hold” on Guardado’s autopsy report from the county medical examiner.
In an unusual move, Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner Dr. Jonathan Lucas decided to lift the hold last week.
“After careful thought and deliberation, I am releasing the autopsy report of Andres Guardado Pineda,” Lucas said in a statement. “In doing so, I have given careful consideration to the major variables in this case — supporting the administration of justice, as well as the public’s right to know.”
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the coroner’s release of the autopsy breaks protocol and could jeopardize the investigation into Guardado’s death.
“This move will now force the Sheriff’s Department to use court orders to enforce security holds that exist for only one purpose — to prevent tainting witness testimony prior to interviews,” the sheriff said in a statement.
The deputy who shot and killed Guardado has not yet been interviewed but is scheduled to do so, Chris Marks, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, said at a press conference earlier this month.
“We’re on his timetable,” Marks said, adding that statements from the deputies are voluntary.
The deputy who did not fire at Guardado has been interviewed. Both deputies are still employed by LASD, according to Marks.
Andres Guardado’s parents, Cristobal and Elisa Guardado, have urged the sheriff’s department to provide other evidence in the case.
“Our son did not deserve to die this way,” they said in a statement. “We understand that there is still a long way to go, but we are going to continue to keep fighting for justice for Andres. We want to ensure that other families do not have to suffer as we have.”
