Media and LAPD Pretend Knife Justifies Murder. Takar Smith was Holding a Childs Bike when Provocative Cops Repeatedly Tased Him, Then Shot Black Man to Death While He Was on His Knees, Posed No Threat

From [HERE] The family of a Black father who was shot and killed during an encounter with Los Angeles Police officers is demanding justice and accountability for his death.

Takar Smith, 46, a father of six, was one of three people who were killed during separate encounters with officers within the first week of 2023.

After Takar was fatally shot during what his family says was a mental health crisis, they’re now planning to file a lawsuit against the LAPD.

Authorities say they’re conducting a full investigation into the shooting which could take weeks even though the entire incident was captured on video.

Raischard and his family held a press conference outside LAPD headquarters on Friday to remember Takar.

“It seems like we called on the wrong people for help,” said Raischard. ‘We can’t keep calling the law out here to kill us like this.”

Full bodycam footage of the shooting was released by LAPD Chief Michael Moore on Wednesday.

In the video, officers respond to an apartment on the 200 block of South Witmer Street in Westlake on Jan. 2.

Takar’s wife, Shameka, tells officers Takar was violating a restraining order by entering her apartment and allegedly refusing to leave. She also told police he was experiencing a mental health crisis. The media and police claim “he had access to a knife inside her home.” However, on video the police asks Shameka if she had been threatened with a knife. She responds no. She explains that there are knives in her kitchen. She says, “regular kitchen knives” - just like any kitchen has.

On the video the knife looks like a butter knife.

Shameka said she told police her husband should be admitted into a mental health facility.

“I wanted the police to help me and they failed, they really failed me,” said Shameka. 

Bodycam footage shows officers speaking to Takar inside Shameka’s apartment while attempting to coax him outside.

Takar eventually heads to the kitchen where he grabs a butter knife during the encounter after the police draw their guns on him. He then puts the knife in the sink. At the time he was standing about 15 feet away and two children’s bicycles are on the floor are in between him and the cop. Takar apparently knocked the bikes on the ground to barricade or impede the officer’s ability to get to him. The cop continues to point his gun at the black man while talking to him. Takar had a plastic cup of water in his left hand. Another cop appears and tells him he’s acting childish and begins to escalate the situation. The cops then begin moving in towards him by moving the bikes on the floor.

When Takar picks up a children’s bike the cops panic and started to immediately tase him. Takar drops the bike and cops continue to Tase him. Nevertheless, Takar seemed unaffected and he turns to the counter and picks up his cup water with his right hand. The cop’s yell “2nd taser” and begin tasing him again.

As they begin tasing again Takar grabs a knife or small unknown object on the counter. The police got scared, yelling knife, knife, knife. The cops continuing tasing him over and over and he falls back into a cabinet and down to the floor. With his back turned to the cops, an officer says “keep it going” as they continue to tase him and move closer,

Takar never took a step forward or brandished the small “knife” at police. The entire time he has a cup of water in his left hand.

While Takar is on his knees and immobilized, he grabs the knife again and attempts to lift it above his head. That’s when officers fire multiple shots at Takar, killing him. He never posed a serious threat of harm or death to the cops. Cops wanted to kill him and they did.

LAPD Chief Michael Moore expressed concerns that neither the officers nor police dispatch contacted mental evaluation units for help while being aware of a possible mental health issue.

“Why did they not contact that team in this particular incident?” asked Eric Valenzuela, the family’s lawyer. “This individual was shot on his knees. He was not advancing towards them.”