Bodycam Shows LAPD Officers Tase & Shoot Suspect Resisting Arrest

 

On the evening of August 14, 2019, at approximately 5:50 p.m., uniformed officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Pacific Patrol Division responded to a radio call reporting a disturbance involving a screaming man. The location provided by dispatch was near the intersection of Thornton Court and Pacific Avenue, an area that typically experiences heavy foot traffic and is adjacent to Venice Beach.

Upon arriving at the scene, officers observed a male individual later identified as John Penny. Penny was behaving erratically and appeared to be in an agitated state. At the time of the officers’ arrival, Penny was armed with a glass bottle, which he refused to drop despite repeated commands from the officers to do so. The officers, following de-escalation protocols, maintained distance and continued issuing verbal instructions in an effort to calm the situation without the use of force.

As the confrontation escalated, officers deployed a TASER device in an attempt to subdue Penny and bring the situation under control without injury. However, it appears that the TASER darts did not make proper contact with Penny’s body, rendering the device ineffective. Despite the officers’ efforts to avoid escalation, Penny remained uncooperative and began aggressively approaching the officers.

At some point during the encounter, Penny armed himself with a three-foot-long wooden plank, which significantly heightened the threat level. The officers again ordered him to stop and drop the weapon, but he ignored those commands and continued advancing toward the officers. Faced with an immediate and escalating threat, the officers discharged their firearms, resulting in an Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS).

Penny was struck once in the left arm and once in the left thigh. In addition to the live rounds fired, the officers also deployed a beanbag shotgun and fired one 40mm less-lethal round, which are tools commonly used by LAPD to gain compliance without resorting to deadly force. The incident unfolded quickly, but officers exercised multiple levels of force in an effort to avoid a more serious outcome.

Immediately after the shooting, Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) paramedics responded to the scene and provided emergency medical care to Penny. He was then transported by Rescue Ambulance (RA) to UCLA Westwood Medical Center, where he received additional treatment. Following evaluation and care, he was medically cleared for booking. There were no injuries reported among the responding officers.

At the scene, investigators recovered the three-foot wooden plank used by Penny during the confrontation. The weapon was secured as evidence and logged according to departmental policy. The area was cordoned off while an extensive investigation was launched to document the sequence of events and ensure full transparency.

The LAPD’s Force Investigation Division (FID) immediately took over the administrative investigation. The FID’s Criminal Apprehension Team (CAT) began a separate criminal investigation into Penny’s actions leading up to and during the incident. As standard protocol in officer-involved shootings, representatives from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division were on site to monitor the investigation, ensuring impartial oversight and accountability.

This incident is one of many that highlights the unpredictable nature of field patrol and the complexity of decision-making officers face in real-time. In this case, officers utilized multiple de-escalation techniques, including verbal commands, less-lethal options, and a TASER, before the situation escalated to lethal force. The investigation remained ongoing, with body-worn camera footage and witness statements to be reviewed as part of the final report.