A former city police officer was indicted on a second-degree murder charge by a Los Angeles grand jury on Friday in the fatal 2015 shooting of an unarmed homeless man, a use of deadly force that led to protests and a multimillion settlement.
The former officer, Clifford Proctor, 60, pleaded not guilty on Friday as the indictment against him was unsealed in California Superior Court in Los Angeles County.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office had previously declined to prosecute Mr. Proctor in the killing of Brendon Glenn, saying that there was not sufficient evidence to charge him.
But the next district attorney, George Gascón, re-examined the case. The current district attorney, Nathan J. Hochman, will review the case to decide whether to proceed with prosecuting Mr. Proctor, according to a statement issued by his office.
In California, a conviction on a second-degree murder charge carries a penalty of 15 years to life in prison.
The grand jury also charged Mr. Proctor with causing great bodily injury and use of a deadly weapon while attempting to arrest Mr. Glenn, 29, outside a bar in Venice, Calif., in May 2015.
Mr. Glenn, 29, had gotten into a dispute with a bouncer and was resisting arrest as Mr. Proctor and another officer tried to handcuff him.
Mr. Proctor shot Mr. Glenn twice in the back while he was on the ground. He told investigators that he saw Mr. Glenn grabbing for his partner’s holster. But a report released by the Los Angeles police chief at the time contradicted Mr. Proctor’s account, citing video footage.
Anthony Garcia, a lawyer for Mr. Proctor, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. He told the The Los Angeles Times that the 10-year delay in charging the former officer raised questions.
Mr. Proctor was arrested on Oct. 16. He remains in custody.
In a statement on Oct. 17, the Los Angeles Police Department said that it was aware of Mr. Proctor’s arrest on a felony murder warrant.
“We will continue to support the justice system as this case proceeds and will work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners throughout the process,” the department said.
Charlie Beck, the police chief at the time of the fatal shooting, had previously called for Mr. Proctor to be prosecuted. The police commission, which oversees the L.A.P.D., had condemned the shooting as unjustified.
The shooting reverberated amid a national conversation about racial injustice and the use of deadly force by police officers. Mr. Glenn was Black; so is Mr. Proctor.
In 2016, the city of Los Angeles agreed to a $4 million settlement with Mr. Glenn’s family, which had filed wrongful death and civil rights lawsuits over the killing.
V. James DeSimone, a lawyer for Mr. Glenn’s family, provided a statement on Saturday from Mr. Glenn’s mother, Sheri Camprone, reacting to Mr. Proctor’s indictment.
“It’s about time,” Ms. Camprone said.
Mr. DeSimone, in an interview on Saturday, urged the district attorney’s office to pursue the charges.
“This really has been a political football for the past decade,” he said.
Neil Vigdor covers breaking news for The Times, with a focus on politics.
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