The 80-year-old father of Brian Beaird was so distraught and inconsolable, he could barely speak.
“I’ve seen a lot, but nothing has affected me like this,” the weeping Army veteran told reporters Friday outside Los Angeles Police Department headquarters. “But I just can’t seem to get over this.”
His 51-year-old son, who suffered from mental illness and was an eight-year National Guard member, was killed Dec. 13 when LAPD officers fired 20 rounds at the unarmed man.
Bill Beaird filed a $20 million claim against the LAPD Friday, the first necessary step to filing a wrongful death lawsuit. “This shooting is completely unjustified,” said family attorney Dale Galipo.
Brian Beaird had led police on a high speed chase for an hour, driving his silver Corvette the wrong way down several streets, running traffic lights and wildly weaving between lanes when the pursuit ended with Beaird plowing into another car.
Local TV stations broadcast the chase live, a longstanding and controversial practice dating to Rodney King’s 1991 high-speed pursuit that ended with officers beating, kicking and shooting him with a Taser gun before millions of viewers.
After Beaird’s mangled Corvette slammed to a halt, he driver staggered out, his empty hands in the air, and then groped his way around the back of the sports car.
Police opened fire, and Beaird fell to the pavement. His Corvette had disability license plates.
Bill Beaird had been on the phone with his son during the chase. “He kept asking why the police were chasing him,” the elder Beaird said. His son suffered from extreme paranoia and other mental afflictions, the side effects of brain surgery to remove a tumor, Beaird said.
Though the father told his son to pull over, Brian kept driving.
Police Chief Charlie Beck said he was “very concerned” and the incident is under investigation. Three officers have been removed from duty pending the probe’s outcome, Beck said.
With News Wire Services
