Conflicting Stories in OIS Case in Compton
July 7th, 2009 by 
Celeste Fremon
A sixteen-year-old was shot and killed in Compton on Sunday by a Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy.
According to the LA Times, the boy has been identified as Avery Cody Jr.
The accounts from the Sheriff’s department and the attorney hired by the dead boy’s family, differ fairly drastically.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Det. Steve Blagg said Cody had a loaded handgun when he was shot by a deputy on routine patrol. But an attorney for Cody’s family said the teen did not brandish a weapon and posed “no threat” to deputies or anyone else.
Attorney John E. Sweeney said Cody and a friend had just finished eating at a nearby McDonald’s when they were stopped by officers in an unmarked vehicle near the intersection of Poinsettia Avenue and Alondra Boulevard in Compton.
The officers “asked them to stop, they complied. They asked them to put their hands on the car, they complied,” Sweeney said.
When officers asked Cody and his friend to pull up their T-shirts, Cody ran for an unknown reason, Sweeney said.
He said Cody ran about 20 feet and an officer shot him in the back. The confrontation occurred around 3:45 p.m.
“This boy posed no threat. He was running away and he was gunned down in the streets of Compton. It’s just a horrible, horrible shooting. I’ve been doing these cases for over 25 years . . . and this is one of the most egregious officer-involved shootings I’ve ever seen,” Sweeney said.
Until the facts are clearer, this is a case that bears watching.
Posted in LASD, criminal justice | 
16 Comments »
July 7th, 2009 at 7:16 am
You need to go chit chat with the family and ask them all about little Avery and his run-ins with Police. While your there ask the family about his dad and his gangster life style ways.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:16 am
It doesn’t matter what other personal matters of the father or the child you may know of. Furthermore, publishing information to make people form negative personal opinions to cover up the facts is low. The law was broken because this child was shot in the back unlawfully by those who should uphold the law, as opposed to calling for back-up, chasing him down and apprehending him as they’ve been trained. Furthermore, you don’t know what point in life the child or his father was in. Should all of the mistakes from your past follow you around for the rest of your life, that you may pay for them forever? Even Jesus doesn’t believe that.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I do know what point in life the child and father were in…
July 7th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Regardless of what you know, regardless of how the boy or his father chose to live their lives…..the police did not have the right to shoot him in the back and end his life when he did not pose a threat
July 7th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Poplockerone, if you know something you think is relevant, say it. The insinuations are cowardly.
July 7th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
the fact that his son was gunned down by the police has nothing to do with his dads past. This is what’s wrong with our people. You should be ashamed of yourself. A lot of people make bad choices in their lives. I have myself but, I guess you’re a saint. All I can say is God Bless you… Only a coward shoots a person in the back and 4 times, he meant to kill him.
July 7th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
I’m so sorry that Avery had to died that way he did. I know the boy and the father and they both good people. Don’t matter what others say no one deserves to died the way he did.
July 7th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Poplockerone you should be ashamed of yourself. An innocent child just lost his life. A 16 year old BABY. HE will never get to go to his prom, never get to go back to school, never get to be with his mom, dad, family. A child lost his life. My heart and my condolences go out to this beautiful family.
July 7th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
A boy of sixteen illegally has a gun, poses a threat to the police starts running, and is killed. Who’s to blame?
A) Him
B) His parents
C) The police
Hint, with liberals, always go with the police.
July 8th, 2009 at 12:41 am
All you guys need to learn the real facts of this story before making any negative comments towards me. This is the reason why I get very upset with this blog and its narrow minded commentators. You guys know nothing – zero. None of you know what really happened – but I do. I try to give you guys good inside intel and all I get is back talk like little 5 year olds.
1 – The kid had a loaded firearm and it was recovered at the scene.
2 – No, the kid did not get shot in the back.
3 – Yes, the kid was a little shithead gang member who was involved in numerous run-ins with the police and he sucked at school.
4 – Yes, he father is also a shithead that everyone knows around the neighborhood as a convicted felon wannabe gangster.
5. – The media and this website blog posting are both incorrect on the details.
His dad crys like a little bitch over his son’s death when he himself is to be blamed for not showing Avery nothing better then the gang banging lifestyle.
Now he gets in front of the media only saying half the real story – only saying the part of “being a good kid” bla bla bla. But, he wont speak about his life behind the scene or his son’s repeated arrests. I’m not going to give you guys any details about who, what and where – none of you deserve it.
“FarmilyFriend” – If your really a family friend, which I dont believe you are, why dont you tell everyone here the real life of this crappy family….stop playing the part. The father should be ashamed of himself and hanged in public. I cant believe that Avery Sr. is now playing the ghetto money hungry game using the death of his son. This guy has not balls no spine. What a straight dick. Makes the rest of the black community in Compton look really bad….really bad.
July 8th, 2009 at 7:20 am
@poplockerone…even so, we can’t go around judging the value of someone’s life because of their lifestyle, or run-ins with the law. If that was the case, there would be no one left deemed worthy enough to live since everyone has skeletons either through their own doing, or by association through their own “crappy” family.
And yeah, the dad should be feel largely responsible for not having done the most to take him and his son out of gangbanging, but to denigrate the father’s grief as to nothing more than a money scheme seems pretty harsh.
This kid was so young. He may have been involved in grown up activities and whatnot, but he was still young enough to have a chance at a different life.
July 8th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Glad to hear what you know poplockerone, but you don’t exactly set yourself up as impartial and reliable when when you mock his father’s grief and call the kid a “shithead.” For me, your nasty editorializing weakens your credibility.
July 9th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
What does “sucking in school” have to do with ANYTHING? haha Wow, can only find entertainment in ignorance like that. Thanks for providing me with a good laugh this afternoon. Remember…God makes the true judgements. Hope you stay focused on you and the person that you are rather than putting down others so that you will be ready for your judgement day.
July 11th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
The boy was 16…. this is senseless death…. LET THE TRUTH PREVAIL… Who committed this better get religion, because they are gonna need it… This kid is INNOCENT and DID NOT NEET DO DIE! For Gods sake, shoot him in the arm, the leg, but not in the back!
July 14th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
M Fajardo make up your mind and practice what you preach. First you say “Let the truth prevail” and then judge and condemn the officer. You insinuate that because the officer, during a potentially life threatening incident shot a known criminal whom they believed to be armed does not have religion. You then become Judge and Jury by you state that Avery was innocent, even though facts have been presented in this blog that a gun was recovered at the scene. You then top it off with the ridiculous statement “For God’s sake, why couldn’t the officer have shot him in the arm or leg?†You must be a great Marksman, and it is funny how you make it seem that it would have been okay for this “innocent young man†to be shot in the arm or leg just not the back. You are right about one thing, this was a “senseless death†and not only do I feel bad for Avery’s loved ones, I also feel bad for officer who has to live with the fact that he shot and killed a 16 year old.
July 17th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
First off, don’t believe the media. The media is strictly entertainment. Lets wait and see what the outcome of the investigation is and then the media is worth watching. Remember, both police officers and even firefighters have dangerous jobs. They have to make immediate split decisions that none of us will ever have to do. Yet, when the dust settles, we (the people) are too quick to make judgment on how right/wrong the outcome was while sitting on our lazyboy recliners in an air conditioned room. Lets look at the facts: regardless of age, if you’re a criminal you will be dealt with accordingly. Yes, cowardly shootings at an individuals back is senseless. But were you there when this occurred? What did the officer see as Avery was running away. Why was he running? Do normal, innocent, guilty people always run? DId the officer see Avery reach into his waist area as he was running away? Remember, officers need to deem a person safe by means of a search (for weapons) but how can he/she do that if they just run off? Could have Avery reached into his waist area to pull out a gun? Did he even have a gun? It doesnt matter! The bottom line is that he was a known gang member or at least hung out with other gang members. He was in a gang area. He was wearing baggy clothing such as gang members do. A gun was later found. Should I stop or continue writing on why the officer did what he did. Im not defending the officer by any means but AGAIN we all need to take a look at the whole picture before making ignorant accusations. God Bless Avery, the officer involved and all Police officers and Firefighters! Stay safe and continue keeping all of us safe!