A disturbing video released by the Chino, California Police Department this week shows 49-year-old Li Xi Wang being shot in the head by an officer serving a search warrant for a suspected cannabis grow house. Wang, who was unarmed during the confrontation, was killed immediately.
According to concurrent reports from local SoCal news channels KTLA5 and ABC7, the deadly incident occurred last month when Chino police served a search warrant at the Rockrose Street location. The authorities were looking for an indoor grow house and evidence of a cannabis trafficking organization.
After entering, police officers pulled a 53-year-old woman out of the house. The woman was immediately asked if there was anyone else in the residence, and she shook her head no. But it is not clear if she understood the question asked in English. While police searched the rest of the house, one officer discovered Wang hiding behind a door, and in a split second, blurted out “I”m gonna… Let me see your hands, dude,” before immediately firing his weapon. As soon as the shots ring out, you can hear the officer yell, “Oh shit! Fuck!”
Despite the baseless shooting, police continued their search, and eventually uncovered a grow room housing 1,500 immature cannabis plants and $35,000 in cash.
As California continues to try to bring the state’s massive underground marijuana market into compliance, local and state police have been doing raids up and down the coast. But with legalization reducing most cannabis crimes to minor civil infractions or misdemeanor offenses, the force used on raids like the one in Chino far exceed the crimes committed.
Officials from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department have started an investigation into the deadly July shooting. But as of publishing, the officer who shot and killed Wang has been allowed to resume his regular police duties and has not faced further punishment.
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