The family of a Long Beach man shot and killed by police outside a church is demanding accountability

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — A week later Brandon Boyd was shot and killed on the steps of his churchhis family and the Black Lives Matter group in Long Beach are demanding accountability, saying Boyd is experiencing mental health issues.

Tiffany Boyd, who was not present at her brother’s death, shared the family’s statement during a news conference Tuesday at the same location where Brandon was murdered.

“He was calm and needed help. “Even so, the police decided to escalate the situation by using a flashbang, a brutal and unnecessary act that led to the fatal shooting of my older brother,” she said.

On Tuesday, November 19, AIR7 was the only news helicopter overhead when Long Beach police deployed a flash bang near the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and 52nd St.

The video shows Boyd sitting just before the smoke erupted, holding something in his hand. Police released a photo of officers recovering at the scene.

One officer was injured with a gunshot wound to the arm. Boyd was killed.

“He left behind six children who will now grow up without a father,” said the victim’s sister.

On Tuesday, Long Beach Police released the following statement.

“The Long Beach Police Department is committed to transparency as it investigates the officer-involved shooting that occurred on November 19, 2024, in the 5200 block of Atlantic Avenue.

That day, officers responded to a 9-1-1 text call for service regarding a man with a gun outside the church. Upon arrival, officers located the man described in the 9-1-1 call. He stated that he was the one who sent the message. Officers observed him near what appeared to be a firearm and, after further investigation, confirmed that he was in possession of a firearm.

After more than two and a half hours of de-escalation attempts and trying to separate the suspect from the firearm, officers used less lethal foam bullets and flash bangs as a diversionary tactic. The suspect pointed a gun at the officers, which led to an exchange of gunfire between the officers and the suspect.

Following the officer-involved shooting, three people entered the scene and refused to obey officers’ commands to leave the scene. Two people were arrested for obstructing a police officer, and an additional person was arrested for obstructing a police officer and battery on a police officer.

One of the officers was injured and transported to hospital with a gunshot wound to the arm.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, despite life-saving efforts by Long Beach police officers and fire department personnel.

A multi-level analysis of this incident is ongoing. LBPD expects to release body-worn camera footage in the near future. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is also reviewing the incident, as it is reviewing all officer-involved shootings.”

The family says Boyd initially contacted police himself for help as he was struggling with a mental health crisis. Boyd’s other sister, Tyerra Boyd, said instead that excessive force was used on her brother and that she, her sister and her niece were beaten and arrested.

“After they shot Brandon in front of me, the police used violence against me, my sister and my niece. We begged them to stop, but instead of showing us even a bit of humanity, they brutalized us,” the sister said. .

With Audrena Redmond of Black Lives Matter Long Beach standing by their side, Boyd’s family demanded the release of the 9-1-1 call, the names of the four officers involved, police body camera footage, and the dropping of charges against Boyd’s family, who was arrested that night.

“We want to charge the officers who killed Brandon with what they did, which was murder. This flash grenade started it all. That’s not what you do when someone calls you and says they have mental problems,” Redmond said.

Boyd’s family and the Black Lives Matter group also demanded to know what type of oversight the mayor’s office had over LBPD.

Eyewitness News contacted Mayor Rex Richardson’s office but has not received a response.

Boyd’s loved ones also asked to review LBPD’s policies and protocols regarding mental health crisis calls.