[Message] On LA Board of Police Commission’s decision

by Min Yang

LA Board of Commission made a decision. Their decision is made based on a document made mostly by Use of Force Review Board, and LAPD Chief concurred and recommended Police commissioners and LA Board of Police Commission voted for it.

It’s difficult to read, long, full of deletions and spelling errors. Just in case it helps, I’m also sharing a link to the version of the report that I retyped for clarity. In the report, any italicized sections were added to help the Commissioners understand relevant laws or policies. You can skip over those on your first read — then refer back to them if needed for better understanding.

🔗 Retyped version of the report

Also, I’ve added comments to the original report to point out just how flawed it is.

🔗 Commented version of the original report

Because this might be confusing or hard to understand at first glance, I’ve tried to summarize it clearly below:

How Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) Cases Are Handled in LAPD:

OIS incidents are investigated by the Force Investigation Division (FID).

Usually, after 9 months, the case is sent to the Use of Force Review Board (UOFRB), which determines whether the officers’ conduct was in line with LAPD policy or not. The UOFRB’s conclusions are then sent to the Chief of Police, who signs off and forwards them to the Board of Police Commissioners, who vote on the matter.

Even when misconduct is identified, the Chief has full discretion — they can choose not to impose any discipline, and they also decide the severity of discipline if any is imposed.

OIS Case (Yong Yang’s Death – May 2, 2024):

• FID Investigation:

May 2, 2024 – February 3, 2025 (9 months)

UOFRB reviewed the case on February 3, 2025, and concluded as follows (see page 3 of the report):

FINDINGS:

• Tactics: Tactical Debrief for Officers Lopez, Celaya, and Sergeant Ruvalcaba

• Drawing/Exhibiting Weapon: In Policy, No Further Action, Officer Lopez

• Lethal Use of Force: In Policy, No Further Action, Officer Lopez

This means:

• Regarding tactics: Officers should undergo a Tactical Debrief.

• For drawing his weapon: Officer Lopez acted within LAPD policy, so no discipline.

• For firing his weapon and causing death: Officer Lopez acted within LAPD policy, so no discipline.

Effectively, this decision eliminates almost any grounds for discipline. (See attached file.)

What Happened Next:

On February 27, 2025, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell sent his recommendation to accept the UOFRB findings as-is to the Board of Police Commissioners.

On April 8, 2025, at their regular meeting (in a closed session), the Commissioners voted as follows:

• Tactics: Tactical Debrief for Lopez, Celaya, and Ruvalcaba (5–0)

• Drawing/Exhibiting Weapon: In Policy, No Further Action (3–2)

• Lethal Use of Force: In Policy, No Further Action (3–2)

The internal report signed by the Chief is filled with content that seems deliberately crafted to protect the officers involved.

For example, it repeatedly cites statements suggesting that Officer Lopez had the time to think, analyze, and decide before firing each of the three shots — all within just 1.19 seconds. That’s simply not humanly possible. It would be more honest to say that the three shots were fired in rapid succession.

Additionally, although Sergeant Ruvalcaba’s decision to use force was inappropriate, the report presents it as if it were justified, even including inaccurate or misleading statements and going so far as to praise him.

In reality:

• There was no warrant,

• No crime had been committed,

• No imminent threat,

• The patient (Yong) was alone and quiet inside his home,

• Under U.S. Fourth Amendment protections, officers cannot enter or remove a person from their home for psychiatric care without consent, unless very specific legal conditions are met.

Despite that, the report claims things like:

• Yong forced his parents out,

• He unlawfully occupied the home,

None of which are true. These false claims are then used to justify the use of force, which is deeply disturbing.

I urge you to review the Chief’s original report (linked above) and my comments that highlight its serious shortcomings.

You can also watch the April 8 Board of Police Commissioners meeting:

📺 Full video — our appearance is at around 25:00, vote result at the very end

📺 Edited version (shortened)

Recent News Coverage (April 7–9, 2025):

📰 LA Public Press article – Police Commission votes fatal Koreatown shooting was within policy

📰 Korea Daily – Meeting Announcement

📰 Korea Daily – Meeting with Parents