On May 12, 2023, at approximately 11:04 p.m., Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers conducted a traffic stop on Central Avenue near 74th Street in South Los Angeles. The driver, identified as 40-year-old Anton Hayes Byrd from Lithonia, Georgia, was pulled over for a Vehicle Code violation.
As Byrd exited his vehicle, he retrieved a black semi-automatic handgun. An officer on the passenger side alerted his partner upon observing the weapon.
When the officer attempted to restrain Byrd, he tried to escape the hold by lunging forward. During the brief struggle, Byrd discharged his handgun, sustaining a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to his neck, causing him to immediately fall to the ground.
Officers promptly moved the handgun away from Byrd and handcuffed him. Emergency medical services were called to the scene, and Byrd was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:33 p.m. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later ruled his death a suicide, caused by a gunshot wound to the head.
A loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun and a single spent 9mm casing were recovered at the scene. No officers were injured during the incident. The LAPD's Force Investigation Division is reviewing the case, and department policy requires videos of critical incidents to be released within 45 days.
As of now, there have been no reports of arrests or involvement of additional suspects related to this incident. The investigation remains ongoing, and further details may emerge as authorities continue their review.
