Los Angeles Police Open Investigation Into Death of BLM Co-Founder's Cousin

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has launched an investigation into the death of Keenan Anderson, the cousin of a Black Lives Matter (BLM) co-founder, as well as two other men shot by its officers since the start of 2023, media reported on Friday.

"Full investigations are underway, and I pledge that the City's investigations into these deaths will be transparent and will reflect the values of Los Angeles… Furthermore, the officers involved must be placed on immediate leave," Mayor Karen Bass was quoted as saying.

Anderson, a 31-year-old high school teacher related to BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors, died on January 3 after California police used a Taser gun against him following a traffic incident he presumably caused, body-cam footage released on Wednesday by LAPD showed. The other two incidents took place on January 2 and January 3, when police fatally shot 45-year-old Takar Smith and 35-year-old Oscar Sanchez.

In May 2020, a wave of protests and riots against police violence and racial injustice rippled across the United States and other parts of the world. The mass-scale social unrest was sparked by the death of African-American George Floyd, who passed away in police custody in Minneapolis. After Floyd's death, the Black Lives Matter movement, which stands against racially motivated violence toward black people, has gained momentum in the US, demanding police reform.