Mohammad Usman Chaudhry, 21 [Updated]

March 25, 2008, 4:21 a.m.

Mohammad Usman Chaudhry, a 21-year-old Pakistani American, was fatally shot at 1435 N. Curson St. in Hollywood at 4 a.m. Tuesday, March 25.

According to police, Officer Joseph Cruz and his partner were patrolling the street when they saw a dark figure by an apartment complex. The officers approached to investigate and encountered Chaudhry lying behind some bushes.

As Cruz was questioning Chaudhry, he pulled out a folding knife and stabbed Cruz on the left hand. Cruz pulled out his gun and fired several rounds at Chaudhry. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics pronounced Chaudhry dead at the scene at 4:21 a.m.

Cruz was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was treated for lacerations and released, authorities said.

UPDATE: Initially the L.A. County coroner identified Chaudhry as a black man, but family said he was a Pakistani American and a Muslim.

Dispatch: 'I want justice for my brother'

[Update Jan. 27, 2011: $1.7 million awarded to family of man killed by LAPD officer]

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25 reader comments

I knew this day would come. I remember waking up to the gun shots that night... It was in front my my apartment building on Sunset and Curson. It was a very weird situation and a lot of people gathered outside wondering if the police officer had used excessive force.

A few weeks later my roomates and I saw a family in front of the apartments looking underneath the staircase where the young man had apparentely fallen asleep before being woken up, startled and shot...

The family turned out to be related to the man who was killed. We told them we would give statements about how many gunshots we heard, etc, and a detective came by not too long after to ask us a few questions.

From what the family said, the officer went out on duty that night with a bandage on his hand, and after the incident the officer claimed that the man he shot used a knife to cut him. What a loser and sorry excuse for a "Peace Officer" this guy is.

It's a tragic scenario, but at least in this case justice has been upheld... to an extent. Hopefully senseless police killings like this come to an end. In the meantime, I think we know which side is winning the battle in regards to cases such as this one. Things have to change.

— AP Jan. 26, 2011 at 7:51 p.m.

I'm an aspiring independent filmmaker who is a 19 year old college student. I see the oppression of Arab/Muslims as being a huge issue in today's society. I want to do something about it through my work that will open people's eyes to this brutality and persecution. Dispite my age, I am very passionate about film and I take it very seriously. I believe that filmmaking has the power to change people's minds and open their eyes.

This man has a story that I believe would accomplish that, but I don't know how I would get into contact with the family. If for reasons of you your greif, the family does not want a film to be made about him then I would understand, but if nothing else this story has inspired me to write a story in his honor. People need to know that this can happen in our country. And that it happens often.
I will NOT use his name or likeliness without the family's permission. So if any family members want him to be represented, please contact me at the e-mail address in this post.

I'm going to get started writing soon. If any members of the family read this, please contact me about the film I want to make and tell me your feelings. I want to respect your wishes as much as I can. May God be with you.

P.S. Please know that I am not trying to make money from this, because I already have screenplays for that. I also would like to extend my sincere condolences go out to you for your loss.

— Someone who cares enough to fight for him July 9, 2010 at 1:13 a.m.

-Why did the police stop and attempt to wake up Usman @ 4:00 in the morning when NO reports were made by residents or other parties when obviously Usman was asleep. Probable cause other than he was a transient sleeping downtown Hollywood
- How can someone asleep laying down on his face (by reports of the police and media) be woken up and suddenly pull a knife and be able to stab an officer
- Why were they not able to direct him/pin him down or let him know exactly what they wanted him to do i.e. spread his hands – not reach for pockets etc which is supposed to be standard police procedure-
How come 2 fully uniformed police officers were not able to (if Usman did make a threatening move) – subdue him using other methods such a pepper spray or even a taser
- Why was a fatal shot or shots fired at his stomach/point blank – and all together 3
- What warnings or other techniques/methods were applied before a gun was drawn and discharged
-What was the partner of the police officer (Joseph Cruz – who supposedly fired the fatal shots) doing while this event unfolded

Usman has never had an aggressive history throughout his life. He has no past record of being violent or showing any violent tendencies to outsiders or even family members
-Contrarily Usman would avoid confrontation at all times – he would physically tremble even if spoken to with a loud voice
- He had previously disclosed to his sister (Asma) to avoid the police at all times and that if he saw them to walk away from them and not confront them

— family March 24, 2010 at 10 a.m.

just to let you know he was autistic. he was reported missing for a few years by his family.his dad and brother would drive around LA everyday looking for him since the police would not help. we gave the police all of his information and pictures of him. the police didnt do anything about it because he was over 18. still the police should understand that he is sick and has autism. we believe that Usman was scared especially getting woken up at 4am! come on now wouldnt you get frightend if someone was yelling at you or pushing you while your alseep? i would try defend myself with anything close to me. mentally he acted like a young kid, always happy and loved to have fun. dont judge him because he looked like any other bum around the streets.

— family member March 24, 2010 at 9:52 a.m.

usman was my friend. We called him usi short for usman. The police thought it was because he carried guns. Usman was not a violent guy at all. He had some mental illness issues and he was living on the streets. I had no where to go and spent some time camping with usman and he never had weapons or showed any violent tendencies. I dont believe this hogwash story from the police. In the mounths before Usmans death he was becoming more and more afraid of lapd and the west hollywood sherrifs he stated he felt threatened by the cops who were trying to push the homeless people out of west hollywood and into la he expressed concern a lapd officer would kill him and get away with it. God bless tyour soul usi I think about you alot and I am now terrified of the lapd they can kill you and get away with it to just like they did with usman.

— julie ann Jan. 26, 2010 at 11:50 a.m.