Less than 10 seconds after officers opened the door, police shot Yong Yang in his parents’ Koreatown home while he was holding a knife during a bipolar episode.

Less than 10 seconds after officers opened the door, police shot Yong Yang in his parents’ Koreatown home while he was holding a knife during a bipolar episode.

Parents in Los Angeles’ Koreatown called for mental health help in the middle of their son’s bipolar episode this month. Clinical personnel showed up — and so did police shortly after.

Police fatally shot Yong Yang, 40, who had a knife in his hand, less than 10 seconds after officers opened the door to his parents’ apartment where he had locked himself in, newly released bodycam video shows.

Now the parents of Yang, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder around 15 years ago, have told NBC News exclusively that they are disputing part of the account captured on bodycam, in which police recount a clinician’s saying Yang was violent before the shooting on May 2.

  • pearsaltchocolatebar
    37·
    6 months ago

    According to the report, the dude had already attacked a mental health worker with the knife. Yeah, it sucks that they were in a mental health crisis, but they were absolutely a threat to others.

    The cops absolutely should have been there, but they should have only been there protecting the mental health workers instead of entering the premises and confronting him. .

    • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      8·
      6 months ago

      According to the report, the dude had already attacked a mental health worker with the knife.

      That’s interesting, because it’s not what the health worker said.

      “He just tried to attack me and the father,” a clinician, whose face is blurred, says in the video as Min Yang, whose face is also blurred, walks into the conversation. “He became very aggressive. He tried to kick me. I walk away. He had some physical altercation.”

      Also of note is that his father disputes that even that happened:

      Min Yang added that he was standing between his son and a clinician and never witnessed any kicking or physical violence, only shouting.