Johnathan Walker:LAPD releases body cam video of officer fatally shooting UCLA grad holding a plastic fork

The Johnathan WalkerLos Angeles Police Department released body camera footage showing an officer fatally shoot a man who was holding a plastic fork, shedding light on the incident that led the family of the victim to hire a lawyer and drew the concern of the chief of police.

The incident began when police were dispatched to a building in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles on Feb. 3 around 2:20 p.m. A person speaking with a 911 operator said a man, later identified as Jason Lee Maccani, 36, of Camarillo, walked into a warehouse studio with what looked like a stick or a pole and started "getting aggressive."

The caller said Maccani, a graduate of UCLA, appeared homeless and was wearing a brown shirt, blue jeans and a red hat, according to the footage released Tuesday.

Footage shows what led up to and followed the fatal shooting

Officers soon arrived and met with the caller, who told them Maccani was in a fourth-floor unit, where he had access "to sharp items and metal objects." The seven police officers went up and, inside a hallway, commanded Maccani to exit the unit with his hands up.

One of the officer's body cameras shows Maccani emerge from the unit and, upon seeing the officers and hearing their commands, raise his hands. After an officer says "Face away from me," Maccani turns around and begins walking backward, as demanded by the officer.

When the officer says "Hold on right there," however, Maccani drops his arms, turns toward the officers and begins walking toward them. An officer shoots Maccani with a rubber bullet, but Maccani continues walking. He crosses his arms against his chest and a white object can be seen gripped in his right hand.

Surveillance video from a camera in the hallway shows an officer fire two beanbag rounds at Maccani from a shotgun, and Maccani grabs the barrel.

Another officer then fires his handgun, striking Maccani in the chest.

An officer slams Maccani against a metal gate and takes him to the ground, the video shows. As he moans, police handcuff him before they roll him on to his back and begin chest compressions. Blood can be seen on his forehead.

Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded and took Maccani to a local hospital, where he was treated for the gunshot wound but was later pronounced dead.

At the scene, police determined the white object Maccani was holding was a plastic fork, not a knife or screwdriver, as the officers said they had believed, according to LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz, who gave remarks before and intermittently during the video containing the body camera footage.

The officer who shot Maccani was publicly identified by the LAPD as recently hired Caleb Garcia-Alamilla, who was assigned to the central division.

Who was Jason Lee Maccani?

An obituary posted in the Ventura County Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, said Maccani is survived by his wife, parents and multiple siblings.

He was an "exceptional football player" at Camarillo High School and graduated from UCLA with a degree in mechanical engineering, the obituary said. He worked in his field of study in addition to teaching yoga and taking on "many other people-orientated endeavors."

"Jason was deeply devoted to his family and his friends," the obituary said. "He was a compassionate and caring person to all those he encountered, and, never met a stranger."

Private memorial services were planned for early March, according to the obituary.

Mike Maccani told the Los Angeles Times his younger brother was in the midst of a "bipolar episode" when he had his deadly encounter with police. Jason Maccani had been struggling with his mental health for some time, his older brother said.

“He was never violent,” Mike Maccani told the Los Angeles Times. “That’s something that kind of disturbed me about this recent incident.”

Chief of police concerned; family hires a lawyer

Michael Moore, the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, said he had "concerns" about the shooting at a city commission meeting days after the incident.

Maccani's family has hired a lawyer and is considering legal action, an NBC news station in Los Angeles reported.

Use-of-force investigation continues

According to state law, the Office of the California Attorney General went to the scene and took over prosecutorial oversight, Muniz said.

The police department's use-of-force investigation is in "the very early stages," Muniz said, and investigators' "understanding of this incident may change as this additional evidence is collected, analyzed or reviewed."

She said the police department does not "draw any conclusions about whether the officers acted consistent with our policies and the law until all the facts are known and the investigation is complete."

Once the police department's investigation is wrapped up, the department's Critical Incident Review Division will present its findings to the chief of police, who will make a recommendation to the Civilian Board of Police Commissioners. The board will evaluate the evidence to determine whether the officer's tactics, drawing and exhibiting a weapon, and using deadly force met "the high standards expected of all Los Angeles police officers," Muniz said.