Uncovering truth behind Yong Yang’s death is first step to preventing future tragedies

The Los Angeles County Superior Court has granted a public records request filed by the Korea Daily regarding the fatal shooting of Korean-American Yong Yang by an LAPD officer. Citing the Public Records Act (PRA), the court emphasized the importance of transparency from law enforcement agencies.

Attorney Chan Yong Jeong, who represented the paper in the petition, spoke about the significance and implications of the court’s ruling.

-What records will be disclosed?
“The release will include police bodycam footage from all officers who responded to the scene, vehicle dashcam footage recorded between 10:50 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on the day of the incident, and 911 call recordings. Any bodycam footage, even from officers who were at the scene briefly, must be disclosed.”

-Why did the LAPD initially refuse to release the footage?
“The LAPD cited an ongoing investigation, but political pressure and fear of litigation likely played a role. The footage they did release, meant to support a claim of self-defense, may have actually worked against them.”

-What do you hope this disclosure will reveal?
“This will allow us to examine whether police followed protocol in responding to a person with mental health issues. It will show how officers approached the situation and what kind of communication took place on the ground. This is a chance to determine whether the incident was due to individual error or systemic failure.”

-The Korean American community is calling for the officer’s indictment. Is that realistic?
“It’s certainly possible, and it may already be in progress. There’s clear evidence of professional negligence.”

-The coroner ruled the death a homicide from three gunshot wounds. Did you request the autopsy report?
“No, because the cause of death is already clear. We’re focused on the core issue of the incident.”

-What is the core issue?
“This was both a failure in police response and a breakdown in mental health intervention. Although a specialist was on the scene, the situation wasn’t properly controlled, and the police deviated from proper procedures.”

-What mistakes did the police make?
“There was a lack of clear communication, and it’s questionable whether they followed protocols for dealing with a mentally ill person. The footage should help determine whether it was a matter of individual officer error or a broader LAPD systemic issue.”

-Some argue the police had no choice, given that Yang was armed with a knife.
“In a normal criminal context, it might have been considered self-defense. But Yang was not a criminal — he was a patient. Similar tragedies have occurred in the Black community. There were non-lethal options available, but they were not used, and that’s a problem.”

-Why is the public records request important?
“It’s about the public’s right to know. Access to official records ensures accountability. Filing public records requests is a powerful tool for protecting community rights and driving institutional reform.”

-Any message for the Korean-American community?
“This case deserves close attention — not only from Korean Americans but from anyone who could face similar circumstances. What matters most is preventing this from happening again.”

By Hankil Kang [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]