The LAPD Has Killed More People Than Any Other Police Department in the Country

This article was written with the assistance of A.I. technology, and has been edited and fact-checked by Colman Andrews.

The LAPD has killed more people than any other police department in the country, according to Mapping Police Violence, a research collaborative that collects data on police killings from the nation’s three largest comprehensive and impartial crowdsourced databases.

The department has a long history of excessive force and violence. In 2015, the department was responsible for 23 documented killings, the most of any police department in the country that year. During the period studied by MPV, 2013 and 2022, the total number of those killed by the LAPD was 167. Of those victims, 19.5% were Black, a disproportionate percentage since only 9% of L.A.’s population is African-American.

Additionally, 54.4% of those killed did not have a gun, so could conceivably have been subdued without the use of deadly force. Nevertheless, in only two cases of police killing was the officer responsible disciplined or charged with a crime.

The LAPD has also been criticized for its response to protests – especially during various Black Lives Matter demonstrations, in which the department was accused of using excessive force against peaceful protesters, which in turn led to more violence and unrest in the city.

It’s clear that the LAPD needs to take steps to address these issues in order to protect and serve the citizens of Los Angeles.

Click here to see the police departments that kill the most people.