Police Brutality / Individual record
Ryan Joseph
The Washington Post's Fatal Force database records Ryan Joseph in a fatal on-duty police shooting on 2016-12-18 in Los Angeles, CA. Individual circumstances and legal outcome require case-specific review.
- Record ID
- PB-570
- Incident date
- December 18, 2016
- Outcome
- Fatal
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA
- Agency
- Los Angeles Police Department
- Category
- Fatal on-duty police shooting
- Age (reported)
- 20
What happened
Ryan Joseph, 20, was shot and killed by Los Angeles police Officer Roberto Ruiz on December 18, 2016, after officers approached him beside a vehicle blocking an alley near 60th Place and Western Avenue. Police said they saw a handgun tucked in his waistband and chased him when he ran. Ruiz said Joseph looked back toward pursuing officers while holding the firearm, prompting the shot. The Los Angeles County district attorney reviewed forensic evidence, witness interviews and scene records and concluded in November 2018 that Ruiz acted lawfully in self-defense. Public advocacy groups raised questions about crime-suppression operations in the neighborhood and the trajectory of the gunfire. The prosecutor's determination does not independently resolve every criticism of the tactics used.
Investigation & findings
Individual legal and investigative outcome not yet reviewed.
Washington Post Fatal Force v2; 2015–2024
Source record details
- Source incident ID
- 2133
- Race code in source
- B
- Race source method
- not_available
- Gender (source)
- male
- Armed status (source)
- gun
- Flee status (source)
- foot
- Agency IDs (source)
- 38
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