May 26, 2023: Officers from the LAPD's Gang Enforcement Detail encounter Genghis Stevenson while on patrol. He is clutching his waistband and appears to be in possession of a weapon. The ensuing chase results in an officer involved shooting (OIS) though no one is killed.

The footage begins from the perspective of the officer riding in the passenger seat. As he makes contact with Stevenson, to the left, the suspect flees and the foot chase is on. During the chase, Stevenson draws a handgun and turns to point it at the officer, at which point he trips over a trash can and eats pavement. The toppled bin is seen at 0:33, with the prone Stevenson a short distance away. At 0:36, the officer fires on Stevenson, who has finally succeeded in pointing his weapon at a cop- with predictable results, although the officer misses and Stevenson is unharmed. The audio is not captured within the first 2 minutes of the bodycam, but we see the officer's partner order Stevenson over onto his stomach.

Although it was obscured from the body camera's view by the red sedan, on the other side of it, Stevenson has thrown his handgun beneath the white car to the left. Audio kicks in at 0:48 of this footage. Stevenson is repeatedly denying having a weapon. At 01:18, he rolls over onto his back again, hands outstretched. As an officer, I can't avoid pointing out that this is one of those moments that would look terrible on the evening news, absent context. At 01:55, Stevenson reverts to a face-down position. At 02:18, he interacts with bystanders- while their replies are unintelligible, Stevenson tells them that "he doesn't have anything" but at least admits that he wasn't shot. The bystander can be heard repeatedly telling the other arriving officers that Stevenson doesn't have anything- another example of how legitimate police actions can often be skewed or misinterpreted. The backup officers cover the weapon where it is found. A hallmark of LAPD procedure as seen on bodycam footage of critical incidents is meticulous custody of evidence. The officer handcuffs Stevenson at 02:55. Radio traffic suggests a crowd has gathered.

At 03:14,we see the events from the perspective of the other officer, who was driving the patrol unit. He assumes an L-shaped covering position at 03:38, avoiding the potential for crossfire with his partner or the backup that arrives. Bystanders can be seen gathering and watching at 04:47, at which point the officer tells his partner to cover Stevenson's thrown weapon before someone picks it up. The backup officers arrive at 05:40, and the video switches to the responding officer's perspective at 06:35. He locates the weapon at 06:52.

I began this video wanting to joke about the suspect being taken down by a trash can, but the potential for someone to take this footage out of context and the crowd's reaction to Stevenson's assertions are very serious matters. That said, the suspect was booked with one count of assault with a semi-automatic firearm on a Police Officer, and one count of possesion of a firearm by a felon, so you're going to have to forgive me for this- Genghis Stevenson is now a Genghis Con.

About the Author

Cole Simms

Cole Simms is an Air Guardsman, NASA enthusiast, police officer, and security contractor with particular experience in austere environments. Outside of work, he volunteers as a Stop The Bleed instructor for area schools. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and blends his knowledge and experience to write analysis for Funker530.