Police Brutality / Individual record
Robert Washington
Robert Washington, 38, was shot and killed by Hawthorne officer Alex Khan on April 1, 2015 during a street shooting in which Denise Berry was also killed and her son wounded.
- Record ID
- PB-142
- Incident date
- April 1, 2015
- Outcome
- Fatal
- Location
- Hawthorne, CA
- Agency
- Hawthorne Police Department
- Category
- Fatal on-duty police shooting
- Age (reported)
- 37
What happened
On April 1, 2015, Denise Berry, 44, drove with her twelve-year-old son in Hawthorne, California. After believing that a Cadillac was following them, Berry sought help from Hawthorne police officer Alex Khan. Authorities reported that Robert Washington, a passenger in the Cadillac, exited and opened fire, killing Berry and wounding her child. Officer Khan fired and killed Washington. A 2020 Los Angeles County District Attorney memorandum examined officer statements, witness interviews, physical evidence, photographs and audio recordings. The encounter involved two deaths and a wounded child, and Washington's inclusion as a person killed by police should not erase Berry's death. The investigation's official interpretation of the officer's response can be discussed alongside the evidence and the distinct harms suffered by both families.
Investigation & findings
In April 2020 the Los Angeles County District Attorney concluded Officer Khan acted in lawful self-defense and defense of others; no criminal charges were brought against the officer.
Washington Post Fatal Force v2; 2015–2024
Source record details
- Source incident ID
- 267
- Race code in source
- B
- Race source method
- not_available
- Gender (source)
- male
- Armed status (source)
- gun
- Flee status (source)
- not
- Agency IDs (source)
- 3129
Last reviewed: October 25, 2026
Sources & records
- Primary source
- Additional source
- Methodology and national police killings trackingMapping Police Violence · Dataset/methodology
- Fatal Force v2 — fatal on-duty police shootings, 2015–2024The Washington Post · Dataset
- Fatal Force methodology and data limitationsThe Washington Post · Methodology