Man shot by LAPD in Venice in critical condition, police say

A man with a knife who was shot by police outside a Venice coffee shop remained in critical condition Tuesday, LAPD officials said.

The shooting occurred Monday afternoon, after two officers from the LAPD’s Pacific Division responded to a 911 call from the Groundwork Coffee Co. in the 600 block of Rose Avenue, Sgt. Barry Montgomery said. The caller reported a man with a knife inside the coffee shop, Montgomery said.

In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, the LAPD said the caller indicated the man had “brandished a knife at people in the area.” Police later identified the man as Jason Davis, but said they did not yet know his age.

When the officers arrived, they found Davis sitting at a patio table with the knife, police said. They ordered him to drop the weapon, the LAPD said, but he did not follow their commands.

Davis then stood up and “began to aggressively approach the officers,” the LAPD statement said. One officer used a Taser, but police said it didn’t affect Davis and he continued to move toward them with the knife.

At least one of the officers then opened fire, police said.

A witness who declined to be identified told The Times that police fired twice at a man who appeared to be homeless. Video of the moments immediately following the shooting was recorded by a bystander and posted on social media. The video showed a man lying on the ground, lightly waving his hands above his head before officers turned him over and handcuffed him.

Paramedics responded and took the man to a nearby hospital, where he underwent surgery, Montgomery said. Neither the officers nor anyone in the coffee shop was injured.

Police said a “large” box cutter was found at the scene.

Investigators have interviewed “numerous witnesses,” Montgomery said, and were looking for surveillance footage from nearby businesses.

In addition to the LAPD’s investigation, the shooting also will be reviewed by the district attorney’s office, the Police Commission and its independent inspector general.

Davis was the 22nd person shot by LAPD officers this year. Ten of those people died, including two men who were fatally shot last week by officers in Sylmar and Mid-Wilshire.

Times staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.

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