Barry Prak, 27, died in an officer-involved shooting on June 28, 2016, after a standoff with members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and Long Beach Police. Officers had located Prak near Temple Avenue in connection with a prior gang-related shooting; he fled, barricaded himself in a friend’s apartment, and later communicated intermittently with negotiators. When he exited wearing a loose sweatshirt and shorts, his movements were described as hesitant and erratic. Ordered to crawl and raise his hands, Prak reportedly lunged at the SWAT team while brandishing a knife concealed in his sleeve. Officers used rubber rounds and deployed a police K-9, Credo, but SWAT Officer Dougherty then fired multiple rounds, striking Prak, who died shortly afterward at a local hospital. Credo was also tragically killed by friendly fire during the confrontation.

Prak’s family and community held rallies in Long Beach’s Cambodia Town, protesting what they considered excessive use of force and calling for an independent investigation. They remembered Prak as lively, outspoken against police violence, and active in his community. Questions remain about whether less-lethal options could have prevented his death. If anyone witnessed the standoff or has information about what happened that day, please come forward.