The man who was killed by the LAPD last Friday has been identified as a young white male who performed as the popular villain from the Scream films.
The man’s name has yet to be released, but people who knew him said he usually performed as the character for tourists on Hollywood Boulevard. Friends and people who routinely visit the boulevard knew the man as “J,” saying he carried a plastic knife and took photos with tourists for tips.
Two Los Angeles police bicycle officers shot and killed the man just before 7 p.m. on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue after someone called 911 to report a man with knife. Danny Howe, who sings on Hollywood for tips, said he saw the man three or four days in the past week working as the ‘Scream’ character for photo tips. ‘He scares people for a living,’ he told KPCC. ‘It kind of makes you wonder that if you scare people for a living, the cops are going to come.’
It isn’t known if the man was wearing the costume at the time of the shooting. The LAPD tweeted a photo of the folding knife “J” was allegedly holding at the time of the shooting:
#LAPD Ofcrs respond to ADW in progress, Susp armed w/ knife, #OIS occurred, knife recovered. @LAPDHollywoodpic.twitter.com/63eWDpYBZj
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) December 6, 2014
A die-in protest was staged Saturday in memory of the victim.
With full details not yet available to the public, many have seen the incident as yet another example of police brutality to occur this year. We’ll keep you updated with the latest in this case.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | VIDEO CREDIT: News Inc.
