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Inquiry into killings possible

Inglewood may ask county sheriff's attorneys to look into three recent police shootings.

July 29, 2008|Andrew Blankstein, Times Staff Writer
  • Waters conference
    Nick Ut / Associated Press

The state's Legislative Black Caucus has called for California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown to investigate last week's fatal police shooting of postal worker Kevin Wicks, 38.

Police say Wicks was shot July 21 after he raised a gun at Officer Brian Ragan, who was responding to a report of a family disturbance at Wicks' apartment complex. Ragan was one of two officers involved in the Mother's Day shooting of three unarmed men that resulted in the death of Michael Byoune, 19.

Seabrooks said Friday that Ragan had passed a psychological screening after the first shooting and that "there wasn't anything to affect his ability" to do his job when he returned to duty in June.


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Byoune's family members have questioned why Ragan returned to patrol, and they have filed a $25-million wrongful-death lawsuit against the city, along with the families of the other two men who were shot in the May incident.

In addition to Wicks and Byoune, Ruben Walton Ortega, a 23-year-old gang member, was shot and killed by an Inglewood police officer July 1 when he reached into his waistband as he ran from an officer. Police said the officer believed Ortega was armed.

A few dozen people attended Monday's news conference, including the head of the Inglewood National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People and Wicks' grandmother, Dorothy Nelson. Some in the crowd carried signs that read, "We Want Brian Ragan Fired" and "We Mourn the Death of Kevin Wicks."

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andrew.blankstein@ latimes.com

Times staff writer Molly Hennessy-Fiske contributed to this report.

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