A hammer-wielding burglary suspect took a leap of faith when he tried to avoid arrest by jumping from the roof of a Los Angeles apartment building before being shot by police.
Bodycam footage released by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) revealed the dramatic moment the man catapulted into the air before quickly falling to the ground.
Officers responded to the home invasion in south LA on September 15 after receiving a 911 call from the distressed building manager of the East 33rd Street residence.
The manager had frantically called for police help after the four people forced their way into an apartment in the complex, tied up a resident and stole his car keys.
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW
A hammer-wielding burglary suspect took a leap of faith when he tried to evade arrest by jumping from the roof of a Los Angeles apartment building before being shot by police
During the phone call, the manager claimed that the four had remained in the building and were now stalking the hallways to terrorize other tenants.
“(They) go to people’s units and are now trying to break into a unit,” said the female manager, whose name was withheld.
While she believed they were teenagers, the four suspects were later identified by police as Aaron Flenoy, Justice Lockhart, Jeffrey Askew and Daiyaan Henderson, all of whom are in their 20s.
When police arrived on the scene, Lockhart and Flenoy were taken into custody, but Askew decided to take them away a gamble and threw himself off the roof in an attempt to escape justice.
Officers responded to the home invasion in south LA on September 15 after receiving a 911 call from the distressed building manager of the East 33rd Street residence.
“Don’t do it, don’t move, don’t move!” Officers shout as Askew appears to grab his waistband
Police shot Askew (pictured) after he reached for his waistband for what they initially thought was a gun, but turned out to be a hammer
Footage showed police looking at the building as Askew, who appeared to be aiming for another roof, jumped off and bounced before landing on the sidewalk.
“Don’t do it, don’t move, don’t move!” Officers shout as Askew appears to grab his waistband.
The hammer Askew was holding at the time of the shooting
“As officers approached Askew to take him into custody and render aid, he reached into the front waistband and removed what officers believed was a firearm,” a police statement said.
‘Askew then appeared to point the object in the direction of the officers, resulting in an Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) and a simultaneous deployment of a 40mm Less-Lethal Launcher foam projectile.’
It was later determined that Askew was not holding a gun, but a hammer, at the time of the shooting.
The burglary suspect was taken to hospital in critical but stable condition in the days after the incident, but his current condition remains unclear.
The manager had frantically called police for help after the four people forced their way into an apartment in the complex, tied up a resident and stole his car keys.
During the phone call, the manager claimed that the four had remained in the property and were now stalking the hallways to terrorize other tenants
The burglary suspect was taken to hospital in critical but stable condition in the days after the incident, his current condition remains unclear
The fourth suspect, Henderson, allegedly “attempted to flee the perimeter by changing clothes and exiting the front of the apartment complex.”
He was later spotted by officers and taken into custody without incident, police confirmed.
All four men were charged with residential burglary, residential burglary and criminal offense against a person over 65 years of age.
Both Flenoy and Henderson were also charged with personal use of a firearm during a crime.
The LAPD said they are still investigating and analyzing the incident and it could take up to a year.
