A former Los Angeles police officer has been indicted after a protracted debate spanning nearly ten years regarding whether he should face charges for fatally shooting an unarmed homeless man.
Clifford Proctor, now 60, was on duty in 2015 when he shot Brendan Glenn twice in the back during an arrest attempt.
Although the district attorney at the time opted against pressing charges, the indictment was revealed on Friday, as reported by the LA Times.
Proctor faces charges of second-degree manslaughter. Additionally, the grand jury has charged him with inflicting great bodily injury and using a deadly weapon.
In a court appearance last week, Proctor entered a plea of not guilty. He was taken into custody earlier this month and is being held without bail.
The incident unfolded in May 2015 when Glenn and his dog were asked to leave a Venice restaurant. This led to an altercation with Proctor, who subsequently ordered Glenn to vacate the area.
When Glenn continued to argue and insult Proctor, the officer and his partner moved to make an arrest.
Glenn was unarmed, but Proctor alleged that the 29-year-old reached for his partner’s holster as they struggled to arrest him.
Es-LAPD officer Clifford Proctor (left) was indicted for the 2015 death of Brendan Glenn
Glenn (pictured) was shot while being detained outside of a bar in Venice
Proctor’s partner later told investigators that he didn’t know why Proctor had open-fired.
The Police Commission confirmed in a 2016 letter that ‘at no time during the struggle cam Glenn’s hand be observed on or near any portion’ of the holster.
His death death sparked a series of protests in Los Angeles, with people speaking out against police brutality and erecting memorials in his honor.
Glenn’s family sued over his death. They received a $4 million settlement from the city in 2016.
The police chief at the time recommended Proctor be charged with manslaughter.
However, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office claimed they couldn’t prove Officer Proctor acted unlawfully that night.
Former district attorney Jackie Lacey ignored calls to have Proctor charged with manslaughter and officially declined to prosecute him in 2018.
Glenn was shot twice in the back in 2015 in Venice
Proctor alleged that the victim reached for his partner’s gun holster
Lacey’s successor, George Gascon, was elected in 2020 on a police accountability platform.
Gascon hired a special prosecutor to re-examine charges against LA County police officers involved in on-duty killings, Proctor included.
Although Gascon was ousted last November, a warrant issued for Proctor’s arrest during his term led the disgraced cop to be detained by US Customs and Border Protection agents at Los Angeles International Airport on October 16.
LAPD addressed the arrest the following day.
‘The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of the arrest of a former LAPD officer at Los Angeles International Airport on a felony murder warrant,’ they wrote on X.
‘We will continue to support the justice system as this case proceeds and will work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners throughout the process.’
Since his arrest, current district attorney, Nathan J. Hochman, announced in a statement obtained by the New York Times that his office would review the case and decide whether to continue with prosecuting Proctor.
Glenn became an emblem for the anti-police brutality movement
Glenn’s death created outrage in LA with many protestors creating memorials and signs
‘The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, under then-District Attorney Jackie Lacey, issued an 83-page report in March 2018 that concluded there was insufficient evidence to prove Proctor acted unlawfully when he used deadly force,’ said the statement.
‘As the indictment has now been unsealed, District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman will be reviewing the case and will make a determination at a later date whether to proceed with the prosecution.’
If Proctor is convicted he could face 15 years to life in prison.
He resigned from the force in 2017 and has been living abroad for the past several years.
The Daily Mail reached out to the LAPD and the District Attorney’s office for comment.
