The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said there will be no criminal charges against two Huntington Park police officers for the 2023 fatal shooting of Anthony Lowe, a double amputee who threatened them with a knife. Lowe was involved in an attempted murder earlier, using the same weapon before trying to flee the scene. According to the report released by the DA's office, the evidence led prosecutors to conclude that the officers' belief in the imminent threat Lowe posed could not be disproved beyond a reasonable doubt.
The 28-page document, which includes photographs and was rigorously analyzed, deemed the use of deadly force as necessary by the officers "to defend against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officers or others, and to apprehend a fleeing felon." The report outlined that the officers were faced with a split-second decision when Lowe, despite his physical limitations, was able to quickly maneuver and posed a serious danger. "This was a tragic set of events that was spurred on by Mr. Lowe’s dangerous actions that forced both officers to make a split-second decision to use deadly force," District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in the statement obtained by the DA's office.
On January 26, 2023, at approximately 3:40 p.m., police were called to a scene in Huntington Park where Lowe had stabbed a man from behind, causing serious injury. Lowe, who had previously lost his legs following an encounter with law enforcement, fled in his wheelchair when approached by Officers Joshua Volasgis and Paul Munoz. The confrontation escalated rapidly when Lowe, armed with a 10-inch knife, failed to comply with orders to disarm and subsequently made a movement that appeared threatening towards the officers, prompting them to discharge their weapons.
An investigation following the incident involved reviewing surveillance videos, recordings, and interviews which confirmed the officers' account of the events. The report further stated that "when Lowe faced the officers and raised the knife into a throwing position from approximately 13 feet away, with the present ability to strike from that distance, the officers reasonably believed they needed to fire their service weapons to protect themselves and their fellow officers." Lastly, it was noted that Lowe had methamphetamine in his system and had a history of suicidal intentions, offering a more complex understanding of his actions on the fateful day. The report is available for those seeking more detailed information on the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
