Jose Antonio Flores, 19

June 1, 2010, 9:31 a.m.

Jose Flores, a 19-year-old Latino, was shot and killed by Los Angeles police Thursday, May 27, in the 400 block of South Park View Street in Westlake, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Two gang unit officers responded to a call about 7:40 p.m. and tried to stop Flores, who was running by West 6th and South Park View streets near MacArthur Park, said LAPD Officer April Harding.

Officers saw a handgun in the man's hand, and he refused to drop the weapon, Harding said.

“That’s when the officer-involved shooting took place,” Harding said. The officers were not injured, she said.

Flores was pronounced dead at the scene, according to coroner's records.

It's believed Flores was in the middle of an alleged drug deal before he was approached by police, according to KTLA. Police said Flores was a known gang member and parolee.

LAPD officials identified the officers involved in the shooting as Police Officer III Clint Perez and Police Officer II Ryan Nguyen and said both men are 12-year veterans of the department.

-- My-Thuan Tran and Sarah Ardalani

KTLA Video: Police involved in deadly confrontation overnight

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26 reader comments

Wow I live on the corner where this happened and none of what is reported her is true aside from him being a gang member yes on parolee yes
I saw a police car coming down 4th st. Westbound open his door so fast it closed back and he kicked it open and pulled his gun and shot him in the head then the chest. Yes the kid was bad
But what I DID NOT like or agreed with was the cops that showed up after giving the shooter hi fives and laughing at the kill shots.

That's the bad thing about giving just anybody a license and a uniform. Most of them are no worse than gang members
Like a gane member they (police) are human beings also and are capable of doing bad and hide behind the badge.
Those gang members need to be filtered out of the system as well as the idiots on the street.
I am pro police but not when they use our tax money and the authorities to hide and defend there own wrong doings.
The kid, from what we saw could have been cuffed without being killed.
Further more there was not one new van or reporter at the scene. Police would not let anyone close until the body was removed later on in the am. We went to look at the scene later and there was still pieces of brain and hair on the wooden fence. And the blood that came out of the victims body stained the sidewalk it was still visible a year later. I have pictures of the day and six months and a year later to prove.
I have children and I want it to be safe for the on these street. A lot of what's wrong with THE CHILDREN are the parents , they really don't care much about their kids to where they can and should spend a little bit of time with them. I hate gang members ,they are scum. Parents only praise their kids and have time for them when they get killed. Then it's " why, why! He was such a good boy he had a kind heart, blah blah blah"

Spend the time with them when it really matters and means something to them!!!!

— Lies lies Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:47 a.m.

-Big Game Hunter,

Save us the sob story.

No one put a gun to your head and made you become a cop. Cops are public servants, (even though they dont act like it when they pull you over) and for the most part do an OK job of protecting the public.

But I'm sure I dont need to remind anyone of the Rampart division,or Rodney King beatings, or the Oscar Grant shooting in Oakland CA, I can keep going on the countless other police misconduct examples if you like.

My point is, dont try to make it seem like cop's are always perfect, and always have the public's well being in mind. I know this is the reality I'm related to a couple of cops. Your going to say "not all cops are the same" and how your the only perfect one....Bla, Bla, Bla.

"Do you want to go to jail, or do you want to go home?" That came from real cops.

They are supposed to up hold the law, so they will be scrutinized alot closer than the average citizen. If you dont like that fact, get a different job.

Can you say "Welcome to (blank), can I take your order"

— Real Killa June 12, 2010 at 9:21 a.m.

Jag and thug lovers:
I am seriously trying to sit here and give you and others the benefit of the doubt on your comments, but I can't seem to come up with a reasonable outcome. If Law Enforcement Officers (LEO's) had the same mentality as you, we would be living in a chaotic society. Plain and simple, if you have a gun on you and you run from Police, you are an extreme danger to the public. I know because I have had to pull the trigger on a suspect with a gun. It's either me or him and I would rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6. You obviously don't know because you are not a LEO nor have you ever had to run after an armed suspect nor have you ever patrolled the streets of Los Angeles.. you are pathetic and blame Police for shooting like this! Just say'N, I agree with you entire comment. Peolpe like Jag are not only ignorant to what's out there, but blame Police for everything. Jag, next time an armed suspect comes at you or one of your family members gets hurt by a gang member, don't call police, call the NAACP. You are not aware of the gang element on the streets. You don't realize the dangerous and hard work Gang Officers do everyday, ignorant fool! Officers Perez and Nguyen, my hat's to the both of you, good Job and thanks for protecting our community from these trashy hoodlums. I am glad both of you went home to your families because I know what its like to have to fight for your life and have to use lethal force.

— Big Game Hunter June 11, 2010 at 2:48 p.m.

Just Say'n, don't get my point of view twisted. Any thug and criminal should be arrested and go to jail plain and simple. There are instances where cops should use lethal force. A perfect example is the North Hollywood bank robbery incident that took place in 1997, where two individuals got into a shoot out with the cops. But when you have a man with a pocket knife, fireplace poker or a broom and then they are killed by cops, then I question the cops' competency. Recently, there has been a lot killings by cops and when they shoot someone on their backs that’s plain murder! Not too long ago cops gunned down an Iraqi veteran who had mental health problems. I believe this veteran could have been brought down without being killed. I thought cops were trained to handle this kind of situations, but obviously I was wrong. Lastly, minorities are the ones that are gunned down by cops 99% of the time and a lot of bloggers here don’t mind it at all. I guarantee you if a white person was gunned down for having a knife it will be a different story. Come on you can’t be that naïve.

— jag June 8, 2010 at 9:29 a.m.

Jag & College Student,

Please!! Are you really kidding?, So when one of these thugs come at you and try robbing you or your family, or God forbid anything else, Who will be the first people you'll be calling?, the "Police", and I hope it's not "Super Jag", that's able to take a man down with a gun in a single second, because your name will surely be on this blog, and your people remembering you as well. The same Police you trash, is the same Police that will protect you as well. If you don't have to do what they have to do, like going up against these evil low-life thugs, then don't try bashing them for protecting us from people like this guy, that's why we should always support our local police; I guess it was okay for this guy to be walking around with a gun, Right? Our Police are human too, and they make mistakes, but far less then these thugs do, and I rather live with that then to trust that I'm safe without them, and being a gang-banger is a gang-banger's first mistake, and they should expect to get killed one way, or another, because that's what they live for, Right?

— Just Say'n June 7, 2010 at 9:12 a.m.

My condolences to the family of Jose Flores. I hope that you will all find peace in your memories and that the pain eases with the passing of time.
To Octavio-Most of the parents try to raise their children right-it is the neighborhoods that raise the rest. Even if they say they don't want to be in a gang and they do not participate in gang activity they are guilty by associaltion. Some choose to join gangs for protection from other gang's and some do it because they want to belong to a group- to feel like they have a 'family".Most realize too late that it was a mistake so they continue their stupid behavior. It is a status symbol to kill and rob, it is a good thing to sell dope when your in a gang. They will walk away from their parents if the gang tells them to-it is the only thing important to them. For some it is the family members who tell them to join the gang. So let's not be quick to blame the parent when the child willingly participates in gang activity.

— Weezy June 3, 2010 at 1:38 p.m.

The Homicide Report

Jose Antonio Flores, 19

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26 reader comments