KEVIN WICKS KILLED BY INGLEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT

THE INGLEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT ALLOWED OFFICER BRIAN RAGAN TO REMAIN ON THE STREETS OF INGLEWOOD AFTER HE HAD SHOT AND KILLED AN UNARMED MAN AND SHOT OTHER UNARMED MEN IN MAY OF THIS YEAR. ON JULY 21, 2008, BRIAN RAGAN ALONG WITH OTHER INGLEWOOD POLICE OFFICERS POUNDED ON KEVIN WICKS APARTMENT DOOR WITHOUT ANNOUNCING THEIR IDENTITY AND WHEN KEVIN WICKS OPENED THE DOOR HE WAS SHOT THREE TIMES BY OFFICER RAGAN. KEVIN WICKS DIED FROM THE GUN SHOT WOUND INFLICTED UPON HIM BY OFFICER RAGAN.

THE INGLEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD RECEIVED NUMEROUS 911 CALLS PRIOR TO THE 12:20 A.M. SHOOTING RELATED TO REPORTS OF A MAN HAVING A DISPUTE WITH A DOMESTIC PARTNER. THE MIDDLE UNIT UPSTAIRS WAS IDENTIFIED AND SUBSEQUENT CALLS CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTIES HAD MOVED DOWNSTAIRS. INGLEWOOD POLICE HAD RESPONDED MANY, MANY, MANY TIMES PRIOR TO THIS JULY 21, 2008 INCIDENT TO APARTMENT 11 AND KNEW THAT IT WAS A PLACE THAT WAS LEFT OPEN BY THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING. TENANTS HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT THE USE OF THIS MIDDLE UPPER UNIT AND NOTHING WAS DONE ABOUT IT BY THE OWNER.

THAT NIGHT OFFICER BRIAN RAGAN SHOT FIRST AND ASKED QUESTIONS LATER. BRIAN RAGAN HAS A HISTORY OF USING EXCESSIVE FORCE ON MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHILE IN HIS INGLEWOOD UNIFORM ON DUTY AND THE COMMAND AT INGLEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT KNEW ABOUT THIS AND STILL LET HIM LOOSE ON THE STREETS TO PULL THE TRIGGER AGAIN ON INNOCENT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. UNFORTUNATELY THIS TIME OFFICER RAGAN WAS ALLOWED TO LEAD A TEAM OF ARMED POLICE OFFICERS TO THE WRONG UNIT WHERE HE OPENED FIRED UNJUSTIFIABLY AND KILLED KEVIN WICKS.

CHIEF SEABROOKS WENT TO THE SCENE THAT NIGHT AND INTERVIEWED OFFICER RAGAN AND HIS COHORTS ABOUT THE SHOOTING DEATH OF KEVIN WICKS. AFTER INTERVIEWING RAGAN CHIEF SEABROOKS RELEASED INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC THAT THERE WERE ONLY TWO SHOTS FIRED. AN INDEPENDENT AUTOPSY CONDUCT AFTER THE LA COUNTY AUTOPSY CONFIRMED THAT KEVIN WICKS WAS SHOT THREE TIMES. LEADS ARE NOW SURFACING THAT ESTABLISH THAT BRIAN RAGAN HAS HAD A HISTORY OF USING EXCESSIVE FORCE AGAINST MEMBERS OF THE INGLEWOOD COMMUNITY SINCE AT LEAST JULY OF 2005 WHEN RAGAN WAS INVOLVED WITH THE TASER SHOOTING OF AN UNARMED MAN IN THE BACK AND THE WHEN THE MAN WAS ON THE GROUND OFFICER RAGAN HIT HIM REPEATEDLY WITH HIS NIGHT STICK.

THIS TYPE OF POLICE CONDUCT AND FAILURE OF OVERSIGHT MUST BE CORRECTED FORTHWITH. A FEDERAL COURT ACTION HAS BEEN FILED ON BEHALF OF DONNA WICKS AGAINST OFFICER RAGA AND THE INGLEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT SEEKING AMONG OTHER THINGS THE ASSISTANCE OF THE COURT BY WAY OF MANDATORY INJUNCTION TO HAVE THE INGLEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT COOPERATE WITH AND TURN OVER TO THE CITIZENS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEES AND OTHERS ALL OF THE EVIDENCE AND FACTS IN THE KEVIN WICKS CASE. BRAIN RAGAN DOES NOT BELONG IN A POLICE UNIFORM BUT RATHER IN A PIN STRIPE UNIFORM.