Death by Cop  2021-2025

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Mario Sanchez

Gender : Male

Age : 35

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 03/14/2025

Location : Imperial Highway and Broadway

City : Los Angeles

County : Los Angeles

State : California

Agency : Los Angeles Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during traffic stop

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On March 14, 2025, at approximately 10:20 p.m., Los Angeles Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop near Imperial Highway and Broadway in South Los Angeles after observing a vehicle being driven erratically. Officers ordered the driver, 35-year-old Mario Sanchez, to lower his windows and place his hands outside the vehicle. Sanchez reportedly exited the vehicle, removed a dark object from his waistband area, and quickly pointed it at the officers. Believing the object to be a weapon, officers opened fire, striking Sanchez. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The object Sanchez pointed at the officers was later determined to be a cellphone. His family states that he had been shot more than 30 times.

Family's Response:
Following the incident, Sanchez's family and community members gathered outside the Southeast Los Angeles Police Department Station to protest the shooting, holding signs that read "A cellphone is not a gun" and "Justice for Mario Sanchez." His sister, Evelyn Sanchez, stated that her brother had texted her at 10:20 p.m., informing her he had been pulled over by the LAPD, and was killed within minutes of that message. She described Mario as a forklift driver and father of two, demanding accountability for the officers involved.

Investigation:
The California Department of Justice is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting, as mandated by AB 1506, which requires such reviews when an unarmed civilian is killed by law enforcement.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://patch.com/california/los-angeles/man-fatally-shot-lapd-officers-broadway-manchester-area
https://abc7.com/post/lapd-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-south-la/16026310