Town Hall Meeting to Address Police Shooting

A civil rights group concerned about the shooting death of an African American man by a Culver City police officer earlier this year is hosting a community meeting on Saturday to discuss the issue.

The National Association for Equal Justice in America is sponsoring  the event in response to the  April 25 shooting of Lejoy Grissom, 27.

The shooting has become a lightning rod for community members who are concerned about the conduct of some officers in the Culver City Police Department.

"We want the public to come and get involved and ask questions," said Royce Esters, president of the association and a community advocate who lives in Compton. "We want the Culver City Police Department to stop harassing people when they come in their town."

According to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, which is investigating the shooting, Culver City police received a call reporting an armed robbery at the Radio Shack on 4137 Sepulveda Blvd. The suspect brandished a chrome handgun and fled with stolen merchandise, according to the report.

 A Culver City officer who was patrolling the area stopped a vehicle that was being driven "erratically" after identifying Grissom, who was in the passenger seat, as matching the description of the armed robbery suspect. There are conflicting reports of what happened next. According to police, Grissom ignored multiple commands to keep his hands in the air, and instead dropped his hands as if reaching for a weapon. The officer then shot him.

A witness to the shooting told the Associated Press that Grissom had his hands in the air and was surrendering when the officer opened fire.

Grissom was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Culver City police declined to comment on the meeting. "Due to the current investigation being conducted by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, we cannot make any comment regarding the officer-involved shooting," said Lt. Ron Iizuka, a spokesman for the Culver City Police Department.

This is the second officer-involved shooting death in two years for the Culver City Police Department. In November 2008, officers responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call involving a man with a gun. Culver City police officers saw a car--matching the suspect vehicle description--occupied by three Hispanic men. When a traffic stop was initiated, the suspect refused to comply with orders given by officers--resulting in the shooting, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. 

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. 

According to Esters, the July 10 meeting will also address allegations of excessive police force, community policing, racial profiling and police hiring practices for the CCPD. The City Council, witnesses to the shooting, members of the community and the police department are invited.

The town hall meeting will be held at on July 10 at Elks Club #1917, 11160 Washington Place, and will begin at 2 p.m. Please check Culver City Patch for updates.