Lowe was shot and killed on January 26 after officers claimed that he had stabbed one man and threatened them with a 12-inch butcher knife. His family argues that there was no justification for shooting Lowe, as he was in a wheelchair and had no legs from the knees down.
Attorney Christian Contreras, who is representing Lowe’s adolescent son, stated, “This is an unequivocal act of homicide, let’s accurately label it.” “The Huntington Park Police Department officers killed a man with both arms amputated and disabled.”
Lowe’s family members utilize a bystander video captured shortly before he was shot to showcase that he posed no threat.
Ebonique Simon, the mother of Lowe’s child, expressed, “It was evident that he was terrified and believed his life was in danger. There were alternative approaches to handle the situation. He was completely defenseless.”
Simon reveals that Lowe had recently suffered the loss of both his legs in a Texas accident and was experiencing depression.
Huntington Park’s Police Department has declined to participate in an interview regarding the incident, choosing instead to furnish a written account of the shooting.
The 36-year-old man attempted to throw a knife at the officers when they opened fire, but instead of using lethal force, the officers tased him twice, according to a statement. When confronted by Lowe, the man refused to surrender the butcher knife and instead threatened them with it. Lowe says that the man had critically injured a person by stabbing them before the officers confronted him, according to the department.
Lowe was declared deceased at the location.
The department also announced late on Thursday that plans to hold a press conference on Monday have been postponed. Additionally, they stated that they will present the evidence in the form of video and audio.
Austin Love, another lawyer representing Lowe’s family, inquired, “Can it genuinely be questioned whether a person with both legs amputated, who is struggling to walk, moving away from the police officers, and not in close proximity to anyone, poses a significant danger to someone?”
A video captured by a local business’s surveillance camera, which is in the possession of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, has been posted online, showing the moments leading up to a deadly encounter. Attorneys for Lowe’s family and investigators from the Sheriff’s County Department say they have not been allowed to see the video, but it is part of the ongoing investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
“Why have the authorities asked Contreras at Wednesday’s news conference outside Huntington Park police station, ‘Have they seen the video? Is that why they have access to all the evidence in this case and can review everything? Is that why the most important people, the family, have not seen the evidence in this case and can only access it through the authorities?'”
The attorneys said they did not say what they were seeking, but filed a claim against the city of Huntington Park on Wednesday morning.
The individuals involved in the gunfire incident have been put on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation conducted by the Sheriff’s Department.