The Olympic Division of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), which oversees Koreatown, is once again under scrutiny after a string of officer-involved shootings (OIS).
The California Department of Justice has announced it will investigate a recent OIS involving an officer from the division—who, as it turns out, has a prior record of involvement in such incidents. Notably, Officer Andres Lopez, who fatally shot Yang Yong, a 40-year-old man suffering from mental illness last May, had previously been investigated for a separate OIS. The recurring pattern of shootings has amplified calls for tighter accountability over LAPD’s use of force and raised urgent concerns about rebuilding trust with the community.
Citing LAPD sources, the Sierra Sun Times reported on June 6 that the officer currently under investigation by the state is Andres Martinez. On June 3 around 10 p.m., Martinez responded to an apartment in Koreatown, where he fatally shot a suspect who was allegedly armed with a handgun.
The LAPD’s Force Investigation Division has also opened an internal inquiry into Martinez’s conduct during the shooting.
Korea Daily has confirmed that Officer Martinez was previously investigated by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in January 2018 in connection with another OIS incident, which occurred during a traffic stop in South LA. At that time, Martinez fired at an armed suspect—a use of force that drew scrutiny.
Under California’s AB 1506 (Deadly Force Accountability Act), the state attorney general is mandated to step in when public trust is deemed at risk or when it is unclear whether the person killed by police was armed. Since the law took effect in 2022, the state has launched 29 such investigations.
The fact that a single officer is repeatedly involved in fatal shootings may have factored into the state’s decision to intervene more assertively in this latest case.
Attorney Chanyong Chang, who is leading the legal effort to uncover the truth behind the Yang Yong shooting, noted, “It’s extremely rare for the state attorney general to personally step in. We’ll have to watch closely to see what aspects of the case are being examined.”
Officer Andres Lopez (Serial No. 43137), who shot and killed Yang last year, had previously discharged his weapon at a mentally ill suspect in March 2021, directly in front of the Olympic Division. The incident caused public backlash at the time. However, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell has yet to make a decision regarding disciplinary action against Lopez. That unresolved status makes the announcement of the new state investigation into Martinez especially significant. Depending on its findings, Yang Yong’s family—currently suing the LAPD and the City of Los Angeles—may call for a reinvestigation into Lopez as well.
Dr. Yang Min, father of the late Yang Yong, said, “Since my son was killed, I’ve met so many other families who also lost loved ones to police shootings. In a system where officers are nearly always justified, there must be a real, enforceable mechanism to check abuses of power. If police continue to lose the public’s trust, unjust deaths like my son’s will keep happening.”
Meanwhile, Olympic Division Captain Brian O’Connor, when asked about the state’s independent investigation, confirmed that LAPD headquarters is also conducting an internal review. However, he declined to elaborate further—effectively sidestepping questions on departmental accountability.
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]
