[LAist] ‘Everything Went Wrong’: A Family Called Mental Health Clinicians for Help, But Their Son Was Tragically Shot by LAPD

This is the summary of the article by Frank Garrova, Reporter of the LAist on June 12, 2024. For the full version of the original article, please visit https://laist.com/news/la-family-county-clinicians-mental-health-crisis-still-ended-tragically

‘Everything Went Wrong’: A Family Called Mental Health Clinicians for Help, But Their Son Was Tragically Shot by LAPD

Last month, a Los Angeles police officer shot and killed Yong Yang, a 40-year-old man experiencing a mental health crisis at his parents’ home in Koreatown. To those involved, including the police, it was clear that Yong was in the midst of a mental health episode.

Earlier that day, Yong’s mother had reached out to the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to get assistance for her son, who had gone to his parents’ home, feeling paranoid and unsafe. His family said that Yong had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder over a decade ago.

The situation escalated when a mental health worker, dispatched by the Department of Mental Health, called 911 and claimed that Yong had attacked him. When police arrived, they tried to persuade Yong to leave the apartment, but he refused. Moments later, in the family’s living room, Yong was shot by an officer while holding a kitchen knife.

Yong Yang died at the scene.

Mental Health Crisis Responses Questioned

This year, there have been 14 shootings by LAPD, with three of them involving individuals who appeared to be suffering from a mental health crisis. In Yong’s case, his family had specifically called county mental health services rather than the police, hoping to receive a more appropriate response. Despite this, law enforcement was eventually called to intervene.

Yong’s father, Min Yang, expressed his heartbreak and disappointment, stating, “Everything went wrong. The mental health team and the police were not in the right mindset to help. I trusted them, and that decision cost my son’s life.”

The Department of Mental Health has said it cannot comment on the specifics of the incident due to the ongoing investigation. However, they did explain that while their crisis teams are trained to de-escalate situations without police, sometimes law enforcement is called in when de-escalation isn’t possible and the individual remains a danger to themselves or others.

From January to May 2024, the county dispatched crisis teams to 8,870 calls, and in around 6% of cases, law enforcement was called in for additional support.

A Larger Pattern of Mental Health and Police Interactions

Between 2017 and 2023, an LAist investigation found that 31% of LAPD shootings involved individuals perceived to be experiencing mental health crises.

In the case of Yong Yang, his family knew he was having a bipolar episode on May 2. The night before, he had been unable to sleep and was speaking erratically, possibly hearing voices. His parents left the apartment to give him space, but when they returned the next day, they were concerned when Yong didn’t seem to recognize his mother. That’s when they called for mental health help.

A clinician and a medical case worker from the county’s Psychiatric Mobile Response Team were dispatched to their home. According to audio released by the LAPD, the clinician called 911 and claimed that Yong was violent and had attempted to attack him and Yong’s father. Min Yang, however, disputes this claim, and no video footage has been released showing what happened before the police arrived.

The Tragic Outcome

When officers arrived, body-camera footage shows them speaking with Min Yang, who informed them that his son needed to go to the hospital. The police asked Yong Yang to open the apartment door, but he refused, telling them, “I do not invite you.”

After 20 minutes, a supervising officer warned Min Yang that his son “might get hurt” if the officers had to force their way inside. Shortly after, the police used a key to unlock the door. When they entered, they found Yong Yang holding a knife. Despite commands to drop the knife, Yong stepped toward the officers, and within 10 seconds, an officer opened fire, killing him.

The officer involved, Andres Lopez, had been involved in another shooting in 2021, where he shot and wounded a man holding a BB pellet gun outside a police station.

Could the Tragedy Have Been Avoided?

Yong Yang’s family believes the situation could have been handled differently. They questioned why officers did not use less-lethal methods, like a bean-bag rifle or Taser, to subdue Yong without killing him. Based on the video, there’s no evidence that officers attempted to use less-lethal tools, although one officer appeared to be holding a foam projectile gun.

The LAPD stated that its Mental Evaluation Unit had been notified before the shooting, but it’s unclear whether a SMART unit, a team trained for mental health crises, ever arrived at the scene. LAist has submitted a public records request to obtain more information.

Experts Weigh In

Former LAPD Lieutenant Jeffrey Wenninger, who reviewed the video footage, praised the officers for requesting backup but criticized their lack of planning, noting that with better strategy, the situation could have had a different outcome. He added, “It was predictable what would happen here. I believe it could have been avoided.”

However, Ed Obayashi, a use-of-force expert, said that given the circumstances—Yong being armed with a knife—the use of deadly force was likely justified.

A Family’s Grief

In the Yang family’s home, just steps away from the living room where Yong was shot, there’s a photo of him and his twin brother Yin Yang. The picture shows two young boys sitting in the sunlight. For Yin, the loss is immense. “As his twin, it’s like half of me is gone,” he said.

Yong had many ambitions, including becoming a successful musician. He studied music production and had a passion for electronic dance music and R&B.

Yong’s mental illness began showing signs about 15 years ago, and he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2012. Over the years, he managed his condition with meditation, exercise, and his Christian faith, but his family believes more could have been done to help him during his final moments.

A Call for Change

Yin Yang recently organized a rally to bring attention to his brother’s case, and many in the Korean community have supported the family’s call for answers from the city and county. Yin expressed frustration over the lack of accountability in fatal shootings involving mentally ill individuals, saying, “These people can’t stand up for themselves, and there’s not enough sympathy for them.”

His mother, Myung Sook Yang, regrets calling for help that day, reflecting, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have called anyone. I would just suffer.”

This is the summary of the article by Frank Garrova, Reporter of the LAist on June 12, 2024. For the full version of the original article, please visit https://laist.com/news/la-family-county-clinicians-mental-health-crisis-still-ended-tragically