Two House Democrats from California are calling for a "full investigation" after an 18-year-old was shot and killed by police.
Reps. Maxine Waters and Nanette Diaz said in a joint statement that California Attorney General Xavier Becerra should lead a probe into the death of Andres Guardado, who police say had an unregistered handgun and displayed it as they were chasing him Thursday evening in Gardena, California.
"Another day, and another black or brown kid has been shot in the back by police. These killings must stop. We demand it. The American people demand it," the statement reads.
"Andres Guardado is the latest young man of color killed by police gunfire. He was shot in the back. The officers involved did not wear body cameras.
"We demand answers and call for an independent investigation into this tragic death. There must be full transparency so the public can trust the investigation and we know we are getting the truth."
They added, "We are asking California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to conduct a full investigation into this incident."
The incident unfolded on June 18 when two deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department saw Guardado standing outside a business. It was later reported that he was guarding an auto body shop.
When Guardado saw the deputies, they said he produced a handgun and started running away from them. They gave chase, and when that ended the shooting occurred. Guardado was hit in the upper torso.
Capt. Kent Wegener, the head of the department’s Homicide Bureau, said Guardado's gun appeared to have been pieced together from different parts, and it did not have a serial number.
Investigators do not believe Guardado fired his gun and he was too young to work as a state-licensed security guard at the business, Wegener said.
Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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