The Burbank Police Department came under fire Friday after video was released that purportedly showed two officers dropping off a “severely distressed unhoused man” in front of Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian’s office in L.A.
Krekorian shared the video shortly after he filed a motion with the L.A. City Council calling for an investigation and possible legal action against both the city of Burbank and the Burbank PD.
The video, which was taken Thursday at the Council District 2 office on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, shows a Burbank PD vehicle pull up and park in front of the building.
Two police officers then get out of the vehicle and open the rear door and remove a man who appears to be handcuffed. One officer removes the handcuffs and the man is seen shouting and visibly distraught as the officers return to their vehicle.
They then drive away, leaving the man behind as he drops to the ground.
In a news release issued Friday, Krekorian said his staff was eventually able to locate the man who was left by police and get him in connection with medical care. The man, whose name is being withheld, recently became homeless and was living outside of L.A.
Krekorian called the behavior of the officers “inhumane and inexcusable.”
“We in Los Angeles have worked long and hard to bring our unhoused neighbors off the streets by building interim shelters, tiny homes, navigation centers, and supportive housing. Meanwhile, neighboring jurisdictions have simply removed unhoused people from their streets and dumped them on ours,” said Krekorian.
The Council President continued by saying that city officials have “known for years” that neighboring cities were bringing homeless people into L.A. city limits and leaving them behind.
“Here is the proof,” he said as he showed the video to the media during a press conference Friday.
In the City Council motion filed Friday, Krekorian called for the L.A. City Attorney, Los Angeles County District Attorney and the California Attorney General to investigate this latest incident, as well as the alleged ongoing practice of transporting unhoused individuals from one city and leaving them in another.
“Homelessness is a regional crisis and the City cannot address it alone,” Krekorian’s motion reads.
Following the release of the video, Burbank Mayor Nick Schultz released a statement on social media in which he stated that the city “takes the concerns raised by Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian seriously.”
He released a longer response Friday evening that says in part:
“Burbank’s foremost priority is to provide our unhoused residents with the support and resources necessary to transition from the streets into stable and secure living conditions … We greatly value our relationship with the City of Los Angeles and are dedicated to enhancing communication and collaboration to effectively address this issue and all homelessness-related matters.” – Burbank Mayor Nick Schultz
Police say ride was voluntary
Around 5:30 p.m. Friday evening, the Burbank Police Department released its own news release in which it stated officers were giving the man shown in the video a voluntary ride.
A police spokesperson said officers initially responded to the area of Buena Vista Street and Alameda Avenue around 8:45 a.m. for a report of a naked man sitting at a bus stop, not far from Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center.
“Officers asked the individual if he needed assistance. The individual said he was homeless and had been transported to the hospital from the Sunland/Tujunga area. The individual said he had a leg injury he had suffered many years ago, and officers learned he had left the hospital voluntarily prior to the officers’ arrival,” the release states. “The individual declined any medical services.”
Police officials said the officers believed the man was “lucid and communicative” when they contacted him, but said he turned down an offer for clothing because he already had his own clothes.
The officers purportedly offered the man a ride to the place of his choosing in exchange for him getting dressed.
“He voluntarily got into the patrol vehicle and was driven towards the Metro [B] Line station. Along the way, the individual asked to be let out of the patrol vehicle to get coffee. The officers complied immediately with his request, pulled over, and let the individual out of the patrol vehicle in the 5200 block of Lankershim Boulevard,” the release states.
Police officials say the incident is being investigated thoroughly, with interviews and a review of all available camera footage expected to take place to determine what exactly happened that led to the man being driven to L.A.
“The Burbank Police Department remains committed to treating the unhoused community with compassion and respect, and thanks Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian for bringing this matter to our attention,” the release concludes.
Editor’s Note: KTLA reached out to the Burbank Police Department for comment prior to publishing the original story and did not receive a response until the official news release was issued.