Samuel Soto, 44, of Los Angeles died on November 2, 2021, from injuries sustained in an officer-involved shooting that began on July 26, 2021. LAPD officers had responded that day to a call about a man with a knife acting erratically. Officers say Soto allegedly approached them aggressively with the weapon and they fired; he suffered multiple gunshot wounds and later died in hospital. The coroner classified the death as a homicide, listing sequelae of multiple gunshot wounds as the cause.

The California Department of Justice reviewed the shooting under Assembly Bill 1506 and concluded there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges, finding the officers acted in self-defense and in defense of others as they reasonably perceived an imminent threat. The DOJ report also made policy recommendations, including evaluating TASER use and care, improving officer training, and reviewing helicopter use during such incidents.

Does anyone have firsthand information about the July 26, 2021 encounter or about Soto’s activities that day?