Freezeframe from surveillance video of Burbank police officers and homeless man from Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian’s Office/LA Times June 7, 2024.
Burbank city officials are scrambling to explain and investigate an incident involving a couple of BPD officers and a distressed homeless man. The incident happened Thursday, June 6, in nearby North Hollywood. It was caught on surveillance video by the office of Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian. The video and the incident have received widespread media attention.
In the video, two Burbank cops are seen taking a man out of the backseat of their police cruiser. The uniformed officers leave him struggling on the sidewalk. The shoeless man appears to be in distress as he stumbles around. A short time later, he drops to the pavement. Meanwhile, the police cruiser drives away.
Krekorian held a news conference the next day. He released the video and accused the Burbank cops of dumping the homeless man in North Hollywood. Krekorian called the action “… callous, cruel, inhumane, uh, also fundamentally irresponsible. ”
Burbank Police and city officials released statements of concern and plans to investigate.
BURBANK POLICE RESPONSE
The Burbank Police Department is currently conducting an in-depth investigation into this incident, including the actions of the involved police officers. The investigation will include a review of all available body worn and in-car camera footage, interviews with witnesses, and any other relevant evidence.
The Burbank Police Department remains committed to treating the unhoused community with compassion and respect, and thanks Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian for bringing this matter to our attention.
The complete statement is on the BPD website.
CITY OF BURBANK RESPONSE
“We do not take this concern lightly, as the City of Burbank’s foremost priority is to provide our unhoused residents with the support and resources necessary to transition from the streets into stable and secure living conditions,” stated Burbank Mayor Nick Schultz. “We greatly value our relationship with the City of Los Angeles and are dedicated to enhancing communication and collaboration to effectively address this issue and all homelessness-related matters. We recognize that these are complex issues with no easy solutions, but we remain steadfast in our commitment to finding effective approaches.”
The complete statement is on the Burbank city website.
