Ex-LAPD officer charged in deadly shooting of unarmed man in Venice
A grand jury indicted a former Los Angeles police officer for the deadly shooting of an unarmed man in 2015.
After unsealing the indictment on Monday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced that ex-LAPD officer Clifford Proctor will face one count of second-degree murder with a special allegation that he personally used a firearm.
Proctor faces up to life in state prison if he's convicted as charged. He pleaded not guilty. The former officer is expected back in court on Sept. 4.
In May 2015, Proctor shot Brendon Glenn, 29, after a physical altercation near the Venice Beach Boardwalk. Proctor claimed Glenn attempted to reach for his partner's gun before he opened fire.
However, the LAPD's investigation into the deadly shooting determined that Glenn was on his stomach and pushing himself when Proctor shot him in the back, killing him. Proctor's partner told investigators that he didn't know why the officer opened fire and that Glenn didn't pose a threat to him or Proctor, according to the DA.
Glenn's death sparked a series of protests in the city, with activists demanding criminal charges against Proctor.
A year later, the Los Angeles Police Commission ruled the shooting unjustified. Then-LAPD Chief Charlie Beck recommended that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office criminally charge Proctor.
In March 2018, prosecutors declined to file charges despite the chief's recommendation. The DA's office released an 83-page report that ultimately claimed there was insufficient evidence to prove Proctor acted unlawfully.
"After an independent and thorough review of all the evidence in this case, we cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Proctor did not act within the law," then-District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement.
Beck disagreed with Lacey's decision and stood by his recommendation.
"I often make comment on officer-involved shootings, and when I see an officer-involved shooting that at initial review appears to be proper I say so," Beck said. "... And I also, in the rare cases when I see one that I think does not meet our standards or does not meet the legal standards, I will also say that."
After unseating Lacey as LA County's top prosecutor, District Attorney George Gascón hired a special prosecutor to reopen the investigation into his death. It resulted in a warrant being issued for Proctor's arrest on Oct. 17, 2024.
Proctor was arrested while trying to leave the country in October 2025, according to the LA County DA.
"Although 10 years have gone by, it feels like yesterday when the tragedy took place," the family's attorney V. James DeSimone wrote in a statement in 2025. "It feels like the 'pause' button has finally been released and the rest of this criminal process will play out for all to see."
However, a judge dismissed the charges in June 2026, saying that Gascón and former Special Prosecutor Lawrence Middleton failed to present any evidence of malice in the deadly shooting to a grand jury.
He also criticized the prosecution for failing to present exculpatory evidence favorable to Proctor and for failing to present the case before the statute of limitations expired for the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter.
"While a judge earlier this summer granted a defense motion to dismiss a prior indictment, we strongly believe there is more than sufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant maliciously shot and killed Brendon Glenn," current DA Nathan Hochman said.
Prosecutors said there is "ample evidence to prove the element of malice" to support the latest grand jury indictment. In addition to Glenn being unarmed and statements from Proctor's partner, the DA's office said "Proctor asked a witness to support a false narrative of what happened" and had a heated exchange with Glenn before the deadly shooting.
"Prior to the shooting, Proctor was angry and frustrated by Glenn, who had verbally insulted Proctor, and Proctor threatened to shoot Glenn's dog with a profanity-laced invective," the DA's office wrote in its announcement of the charges.
The DA's office brought in Special Prosecutor Michael Gennaco, "one of the nation's leading experts in officer-involved shootings and police use of force," according to Hochman.
The city settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Glenn's family for $4 million in December 2016.