An approximately 20-minute meeting with some high-ranking Los Angeles Police Department officials failed to resolve all the questions San Fernando Valley Muslims have about the fatal officer-involved shooting of a 19-year-old who led officers on a chase, a participant said Monday.
"They showed their concern and sympathy for what happened," Aref Abedi, director of the Islamic Center of Reseda, who joined Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Community Affairs Council, and other community leaders in Sunday's meeting at the Islamic Center of Reseda.
"They said everything was in a preliminary stage," but officials could not explain how the shooting happened, although they promised "the investigation would be thorough when competed," Abedi told City News Service.
Abdul Arian had told a dispatcher he was armed and was prepared to shoot officers, police said. Arian "took what appeared to be an aggressive 'shooting stance' several times, extending his arms out and pointing an unknown object at the officers," causing them to believe he was armed, police said.
Abedi said "there are a lot of questions and concerns in our community -- with the way it happened and was managed."
"It's really not acceptable," Abedi said. "Everyone is devastated."
Abedi said the concern was not just from a "Muslim standpoint but a human standpoint."
There was no immediate response from police to a request for a reply to Abedi's comments.
Meeting participants were concerned about the department's pursuit and use of force policy, and the extent and type of oversight it has in such cases, police said.
Arian's relatives filed a $120 million claim against the city Monday, customarily a precursor to a lawsuit. Frank Mateljan of the City Attorney's Office said the city had not been served with the claim.
Arian's funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday at Pierce Brothers Valhalla in North Hollywood. Abedi said he expected a large turnout.
