An outcry has been sparked after police in Huntington Park, California, shot and killed a knife-wielding double-amputee, as the public seeks a dialogue over excessive use of force and police reform in the wake of other incidents.
Victim stabbed in unprovoked attack, says suspect got out of wheelchair and ran at him
On Thursday afternoon, Huntington Park Police Department officers responded to a report of a stabbing and arrived to find a victim suffering from “a life-threatening stab wound.”
Officers spoke to the victim, who described the attacker as a Black man in a wheelchair. The victim said the suspect “dismounted the wheelchair, ran to the victim without provocation, and stabbed him in the side of the chest with a 12-inch butcher knife,” according to police, CNN reported. “The suspect then ran back to the wheelchair and fled the scene in the wheelchair.”
However, this claim by the victim seems questionable as, according to Lowe’s family, he had yet to receive any prosthetic limbs.
The victim was left in critical condition, suffering from a collapsed lung and internal bleeding.
Knife-wielding double amputee shot dead by cops in California
Police pursued the suspect as described by the victim and saw 36-year-old Anthony Lowe, who had both of his legs amputated, fleeing in a wheelchair. Lowe was armed with a long butcher knife, Fox LA reported.
As officers tried to detain Lowe, they first used the Taser at least twice. According to police, Lowe threatened to advance on them and throw the knife at them. They drew their guns. It was then that an officer fired on Lowe, killing him.
Family says suspect no real threat to officers, told inconsistent information
The family of Anthony Lowe says he was distraught over losing both his legs last year. They say he was shot in the back, and due to his condition, he could not have been a real threat to the officers.
The family also says they have been given inconsistent information. They say they were told that Lowe charged at police with a knife, but a witness’ statement did not appear to support that, NBC reported.
National cry for police reform
This latest episode of the killing of a double-amputee by police is raising questions over the use of excessive force and comes in the wake of the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who was severely beaten to death by five Black police officers of the Memphis Police Department during a traffic stop.
