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Activists look at a mural of Ezell Ford in December 2014 in Los Angeles.
David Mcnew / Getty Images
Two police officers will not face charges for shooting and killing a mentally ill black man in South Los Angeles in 2014, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Los Angeles officers Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas shot Ezell Ford near his home on Aug. 11, 2014. According to a report from the Los Angeles County District Attorney released Tuesday, the shooting happened after the officers confronted Ford in a “known gang area.” When Ford ignored the officers' request to talk, the report states, Wampler grabbed him and a struggle ensued.
During the struggle, Ford grabbed for Wampler's gun, prompting both officers to open fire. Ford died two days later. An autopsy found that he was shot three times, including once in the back. His family has said he suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
According to the report, Ford posed an “immediate threat” to the two officers, who responded with deadly force “in fear for their lives.” Prosecutors ultimately concluded that Wampler and Villegas acted in self defense.
“Although the loss of Mr. Ford's life is tragic, we believe the officers' actions were legally justified and the evidence supports our decision,” District Attorney Jackie Lacey said Tuesday in a statement.
People protest the fatal police shooting of Ezell Ford on August 17, 2014.
Lucy Nicholson / Reuters
Ford was shot just two days after Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. That shooting sparked weeks of protests and unrest, and launched the Black Lives Matter Movement.
Ford's death, coming on the heels of Brown's, also sparked protests and was cited by activists as an example of police misbehavior.
Though prosecutors have now declined to charge the officers, a police commission also found in 2015 that Wampler was wrong to use deadly force.
LINK: Ezell Ford’s Autopsy Shows LAPD Shot Him Three Times, Once In The Back
LINK: LAPD Commission Faults One Officer In Fatal Shooting Of Mentally-Ill Man
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