Tragedy unfolded in Huntington Park, California, when two officers faced a harrowing encounter with Anthony Lowe, a double amputee, ending in a fatal shooting.
The incident, reported by Police1, unfolded in January 2023 after Lowe, 36, stabbed a man in the chest, leaving the victim with a collapsed lung and broken ribs.
Prosecutors from the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office announced on Tuesday that no charges would be filed against Officers Paul Munoz and Joshua Volasgis. Their report concluded the officers acted under intense pressure, facing an armed suspect who had just committed a violent crime.
Swift Decisions in a Deadly Confrontation
Minutes before the shooting, surveillance footage captured Lowe lunging from his wheelchair to attack a stranger on Slauson Avenue. He then waited briefly at a corner before crossing the street, still in possession of a long-bladed knife.
Responding officers, including Munoz, Volasgis, and Freddy Ramirez, arrived to find Lowe attempting to wheel away. When Volasgis grabbed the wheelchair and tipped Lowe to the ground, a concealed knife fell nearby, escalating the already tense situation.
Lowe, undeterred, picked up the weapon and hobbled away on his knees, swinging the blade above his head. At that moment, Ramirez deployed a Taser while Munoz and Volasgis fired their service weapons, striking Lowe with eight of the eleven rounds discharged.
Prosecutors Weigh a Complex Tragedy
The district attorney’s report acknowledged the heartbreaking layers of the case, noting Lowe’s physical limitations and possible mental health crisis. Yet, it emphasized his “dangerous and violent actions” as the catalyst for the officers’ response, stating, “What transpired in this incident was a tragic series of events put in motion by Lowe.”
Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman, in a video statement, described reviewing such use-of-force cases as “one of the most challenging, important and sensitive responsibilities” his office holds. Still, he concluded that proving charges against the officers at trial was beyond reach, a decision that prioritizes legal restraint over emotional outcry.
Lowe’s family, represented by attorney Christian Contreras, had hoped for criminal accountability, especially given another dropped case involving a controversial police killing in 2023. Contreras questioned Hochman’s commitment to holding officers responsible, a fair critique when public trust in law enforcement hangs by a thread.
Background of Struggle and Violence
Lowe’s personal history paints a picture of turmoil, having served an 18-year prison sentence for crimes including a gang-related robbery. After losing both legs in a separate incident involving a jump from a freeway overpass during a police pursuit in Texas, he returned to Los Angeles to live with his mother.
LAPD officers had responded to his mother’s home at least twice for mental health emergencies, hinting at deeper struggles. The autopsy also revealed traces of methamphetamine in his system at the time of the shooting, adding another layer to an already fraught narrative.
Officer Volasgis, one of the two who fired, told investigators he feared for his life and his colleagues’ safety, citing training that a knife can be thrown from 10 to 15 feet. While some might scoff at such reasoning given Lowe’s condition, the split-second reality of facing an armed suspect can’t be dismissed lightly.
Legal Fallout and Public Questions
The family’s wrongful death lawsuit against the city has reportedly settled, though Contreras could not share details as the agreement remains unfinished. Meanwhile, Huntington Park Police Chief Cosme Lozano called the D.A.’s decision a reflection of “a thorough and independent evaluation of the facts, evidence, and applicable law.”
Volasgis’s past, however, raises eyebrows, with prior involvement in controversial use-of-force cases during his time at LAPD and West Covina Police Department. Terminated from both agencies after excessive force allegations, his presence in this incident fuels skepticism about systemic accountability in policing.
Ultimately, this case exposes the raw tension between public safety and personal tragedy. While Lowe’s actions set a deadly chain in motion, the image of officers firing on a man with no legs gnaws at the conscience, demanding we rethink how mental health crises are met with force rather than care.
