By Michael Nam
While the investigation continues into the high-profile shooting of an unarmed homeless man in Los Angeles that was caught on video, there are key issues surrounding the confrontation that go beyond the narrative of another police-related death. The deadly meeting between the man, known as “Africa,” and the LAPD occurred in a Skid Row section of the city where approximately 3,500 homeless individuals, many with issues regarding mental health, reside. Africa and the police collided at an intersection of social ills facing the city, the state of California and the U.S.: homelessness, treatment of the mentally ill and race.
Los Angeles currently has the second-largest homeless population for a U.S. city (behind New York). The city has sought to abandon its Broken Windows approach. “Our success will lie in taking a more progressive approach,” Los Angeles Police Department Captain John McMahon said to the Los Angeles Times in the summer of 2014.
