On Tuesday, officials identified a 34-year-old man who was fatally shot by a California Highway Patrol officer. The man was walking on an interstate and allegedly armed with a stun gun at the time of the incident.
According to a report from the Los Angeles County coroner, Jesse Dominguez, a resident of Los Angeles, passed away at a hospital after an altercation with law enforcement on Sunday. However, the official cause of his death has not yet been revealed.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, the identity of the highway patrol officer involved in Sunday’s shooting had not been revealed.
In a statement given to NBC News on Tuesday, Akasha Dominguez expressed the struggles that the loved ones of Dominguez are going through to comprehend his untimely and unnecessary death.
Akasha Dominguez expressed their struggle to come to terms with recent events, stating that it is a difficult time for their family. They have been receiving numerous calls and messages regarding the untimely and tragic death, but for now, their focus is on grieving the loss of their loved one, who was a son, brother, and friend.
Around 3 p.m., authorities closed part of Interstate 105 in Los Angeles County due to reports of a man walking on the freeway. The confrontation occurred shortly thereafter.
A video that has been circulating on social media shows a highway patrol officer engaging in a physical altercation with a man on the pavement before ultimately shooting him at close range. According to the highway patrol, the man had used a stun gun on the officer prior to the shooting. The video has sparked controversy and raised questions about the use of force by law enforcement officials.
According to an expert in the use of force, the officer could have perceived a Taser or stun gun as equally dangerous as a firearm.
According to Ed Obayashi, a former California police officer and sheriff’s deputy, a stun can pose a serious and immediate danger to anyone. He emphasizes that officers being stunned and losing their weapons is a situation that should be avoided at all costs.
Obayashi is frequently requested by law enforcement agencies to conduct investigations on incidents involving officers and shootings.
According to Obayashi, he raised concerns about the officer’s decision to confront the man alone, especially since the freeway had already been cleared and there seemed to be no immediate danger to anyone.
On Tuesday, Obayashi expressed that creating distance between himself and someone wielding a stun gun would provide an opportunity to de-escalate the situation and retreat.
The closure of the 105 side indicates that there is no threat to anyone, but the question that arises is why did the officer approach the individual? Despite the presence of numerous cops at the location, this officer was alone and approaching the individual, which raises a fundamental question.
The reporting for this article was done by Andrew Blankstein in Los Angeles and David K. Li in New York City. Specializing in crime, courts, and homeland security, Andrew Blankstein is an investigative reporter for NBC News who provides coverage for the Western U.S.
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