LAPD officers could lose their certification over an improper shooting

Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times on May 2, 2026

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LOS ANGELES — In a first, California's police accreditation body is weighing whether to strip two LAPD officers of their license to carry a badge over a controversial shooting.

The officers, José Zavala and Julio Quintanilla, shot and killed a suicidal man armed with a knife in 2021. A civilian advisory board for the Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training, or POST, determined there was "clear and convincing evidence" that Zavala and Quintanilla used excessive force on the man, Margarito Lopez Jr., who didn't appear to pose a danger to anyone other than himself. Members of the panel recommended the officers' certifications be suspended or revoked outright.

"Even if it's this late, the good news is that these cops might lose their benefits as police officers and they won't be terrorizing the community anymore," said Luis Carrillo, an attorney for Lopez's family.

The final decision will be made by the full commission, which is expected to take up the case next month. If POST rules against the officers, they still can appeal to an administrative law judge.

The commission has reviewed other cases involving officers from around the state accused of misconduct, among them several from the Los Angeles Police Department, including a former homicide detective repeatedly arrested on drunken driving charges and a detective accused of purchasing a possible silencer from China.

But this appears to be the first instance of officers facing possible decertification because of an on-duty shooting.

For decades, California had some of the strongest legal protections for law enforcement officers in the country, at times allowing those who engaged in serious misconduct to quietly quit and find jobs in other departments.

That changed in 2021 with the passage of Senate Bill 2, which required police agencies to report "serious misconduct," including excessive force, dishonesty and sexual assault, to POST.

This case is an example of what the accountability law was designed to do, and not necessarily a sign that POST is taking a tougher stance on police shootings, according to Meagan Poulos, an agency spokesperson.

The advisory board made its decision after deliberating at an April 15 hearing.

"In this particular case, the officers' actions do not rise to a clear and convincing level," the officers' attorney, Leslie Wilcox, said during the hearing. Wilcox is part of a panel of attorneys for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents the city's rank-and-file cops. "Both officers expressed their fear of the imminent threat that they believe this victim posed to them, based on the knife and his prior actions."

On Dec. 18, 2021, Lopez's sister called 911 because she was afraid her 22-year-old brother might hurt himself. LAPD officers confronted Lopez outside his apartment building in Historic South Central.

For more than 10 minutes, officers shouted at Lopez to drop his 6-inch butcher knife, according to a report by then-Police Chief Michel Moore and POST's investigation.

At one point, Lopez held the knife to his throat and made the sign of the cross on his chest with his other hand, prompting one officer to fire a less-lethal projectile at him.

After sitting for a few minutes on the front steps of the building, Lopez suddenly jumped to his feet and took four steps in the direction of officers. One shot him with a 40-millimeter round, which is designed to incapacitate people without killing them. Almost simultaneously, Zavala and Quintanilla fired their guns. Lopez was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Moore and the LAPD's civilian watchdog ruled the two officers violated LAPD policies, concluding that Lopez did not pose enough of a threat to justify deadly force.

Lopez's family sued the city, winning $8 million in damages.

Zavala was suspended for 10 days without pay, while Quintanilla was sidelined for five days, according to POST.

The case has been turned over to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office for consideration of potential criminal charges and remains under review, a spokesperson said Friday.