Andres Guardado: L.A. inquest right into a deadly police taking pictures backs earlier conclusion that it was murder -

In a four-page doc, retired Justice Candace Cooper stated that “the medical cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds” and “the manner of death was by the hands of another person other than by accident.”

The demise of the 18-year-old Latino man occurred amid widespread protests throughout the nation, sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, racial injustice and the connection between police and communities of coloration.

On June 18, Guardado was pursued by sheriff’s deputies after he reportedly displayed a handgun, seemed towards the deputies and ran from an auto physique store, based on the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. Attorneys representing the Guardado household have disputed these claims.

In July, an unbiased post-mortem ordered by Guardado’s household discovered the teenager was shot 5 instances within the again. The county coroner’s workplace got here to the identical conclusion. Guardado’s method of demise was licensed a murder.

On November 10, the county coroner’s workplace known as for an inquest “in the interest of public transparency” after questions arose about deputies’ use of pressure. The inquest was held on November 30.

“In the nearly five months since Andres Guardado was killed, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has failed to be transparent in its investigation into the circumstances, manner and cause of Andres’ death,” Adam Shea, an legal professional for the household, stated in November.

The inquest’s findings might be forwarded to the sheriff’s division in addition to the Los Angeles district legal professional, based on the report.

The choose additionally famous within the findings that she’s going to “not pursue the Fifth Amendment issues” raised in the course of the inquest.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy Miguel Vega, who fired the lethal pictures, submitted a declaration “indicating that if he were to appear and be questioned at the inquest, he would assert his Fifth Amendment right not to testify.”

Vega’s legal professional Adam Marangell beforehand instructed CNN that, “Guardado refused multiple commands not to reach for a gun, forcing deputy Vega to fire his weapon in fear for his life.”

The sheriff’s division in December introduced that Vega was relieved of duties in response to an unrelated investigation right into a site visitors accident in April. A second officer was additionally relieved in reference to the identical incident.

CNN has reached out to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Vega’s legal professional for an extra remark.

CNN’s Cheri Mossburg, Ralph Ellis, Stella Chan, Paul Vercammen, Madeline Holcombe and Travis Caldwell contributed to this report.