The family of an unarmed man who was fatally shot by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies is demanding a new investigation and other changes nearly two years after his death.
Frederick Holder, 28, was shot and killed in Norwalk on June 23, 2021.
Deputies responded to a reckless driver near the intersection of Alondra Boulevard and Piuma Avenue. They found a box truck driven by Holder and asked him to exit the vehicle, but he drove away.
Deputies chased him for about a block before he eventually stopped due to heavy traffic.
They approached the truck, opened the door, and said Holder pointed what they thought was a gun. That’s when they opened fire, killing him.
The object was later determined to be a lighter with a handle and a barrel.
The incident was captured on dashcam video.
Investigators said the deputies likely fired around 30 rounds. Holder was shot 11 times, including in the face.
Officials later learned the truck had been reported stolen.
After an investigation, the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges against the deputies involved, calling the shooting lawful self defense.
On Thursday, a day before the second anniversary of his death, Holder’s loved ones held up a sign outside of Sheriff’s Department headquarters saying “Rest in Power Frederick Holder.”
They said they have met with Sheriff Robert Luna and are calling for him to reopen the case and fire the deputies involved. They are also urging the California Attorney General’s Office to review the case.
“Do what’s right,” Holder’s mother, April Holder, said during a news conference.
“For me, my justice, for my family is getting the police that shot my kid off the streets because they’re able to go home and sleep at night, I can’t sleep at night,” she said, adding that her grandson was left without a father. “Can you imagine … laying down to go to sleep and all I can see is my son’s teeth gone? Him laying there with all these bullet wounds. Is that fair to me?”
Sylvester Ani, a friend of the family, said that more policing is not the solution.
“What we need is more care to prevent situations like this from happening, and we need unarmed responses to these situations,” Ani said.