Devastated father tells how he watched on live television as LAPD cops shot dead his unarmed son after chase through city

  • Brian Beaird led police on an hour-long speed chase through Los Angeles
  • Video captured the moment when Beaird seemed to speed through a red light and crashed into another car
  • Officers tailed the man for an hour and attempted to pull him over for reckless driving and a possible DUI
  • Police investigating claim officers mistook the sound of a colleague's non-lethal 'bean-bag' shotgun for a real gunfire

By Ashley Collman and Ryan Gorman

PUBLISHED: 22:33 EST, 20 December 2013 | UPDATED: 02:37 EST, 21 December 2013

The father of the man shot dead on live television by Los Angeles police officers has broken his silence over the traumatic ordeal.

Bill Beaird, 80, watched as three LAPD officers shot son Brian Beaird 22 times after he led them on an hour-long car chase through the city before crashing his silver Corvette and spinning out of control.

The grieving father claims he told his son, 55, to pull over in a frantic phone call during the pursuit in which insisted he had done nothing wrong.

Bill Beaird said his dead son was a disabled vet who suffered from severe paranoia after brain tumor surgery that caused him to be discharged from the military - that paranoia fueled his paranoid flight.

Scroll down to see the dramatic chase and crash:

Taken out: When broadcast live, Brian Beaird was seen running around the back of his car before being shot by police, clutching his stomach and falling over on the sidewalk

Taken out: When broadcast live, Brian Beaird was seen running around the back of his car before being shot by police, clutching his stomach and falling over on the sidewalk

Bill Beaird told the Los Angeles Times he turned on the television soon after receiving the panicked call. He watched a sports car bob and weave its way through Los Angeles.

The chase looks like a scene out of Grand Theft Auto V, but this was no game.

His son Brian had just called, and frantically insisted he had done nothing wrong but was being chased by police.

'Pull over,' Bill Beaird told his son, 'he said he was going to do it, but he didn't do it.'

A military veteran himself, Bill Beaird watched a Corvette similar to his son's, silver, speed through the city.

Soon the muscle car t-boned another car and spun onto the sidewalk.

The driver stumbled out of the bashed up vehicle, cameras rolling, hands in the air, back to the police.

'I thought it was my son, but I wasn't sure,' Bill Beaird recalled.

LAPD officers opened fire with live rounds after they allegedly mistook the sound of a colleague's non-lethal 'bean-bag' shotgun for a real gunfire.

More than 20 gunshots and several unanswered phone calls later it all made sense - Bill Beaird just watched police execute his unarmed son live on television.

On foot: After the crash, the DUI suspect tries to drive his totaled car but crashes it into a telephone pole while backing up and it won't move. He is then seen getting out of the car

On foot: After the crash, the DUI suspect tries to drive his totaled car but crashes it into a telephone pole while backing up and it won't move. He is then seen getting out of the car

The elder Beaird said his son likely fled the police because he suffered from paranoia that developed after a 1988 surgery to remove a brain tumor.

He, along with KTLA anchors, briefly thought his son must have been shot with a Taser - the grim reality soon set in.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck told NBC News: 'After hearing the preliminary briefing, I am very concerned about the circumstances that led up to and resulted in this Officer Involved Shooting.

'Because of those concerns I have directed that the three involved officers be assigned home pending the final results of the investigation.

 

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'Determinations regarding training or possible disciplining of the involved officers will be made at that time.'

Video captured the moment when Beaird seemed to speed through a red light and crashed into the back half of a Nissan Maxima on December 17.

LAPD is investigating claims that when one officer fired a non-lethal 'bean bag' round, another mistook it for gunfire and used a real weapon. 

'The suspect got out of the vehicle and at that point, something occurred that prompted the officer-involved shooting,' Lt Neiman said.

Crash: The Corvette's tires were impervious to police spike strips so it was only when he rammed into another car that the chase came to a halt at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Los Angeles Street
Damages: The T-bone crash sent the other car barreling into a fire hydrant which sent water shooting into the air and spilling out onto the street

Crash: The Corvette's tires were impervious to police spike strips so it was only when he rammed into another car that the chase came to a halt at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Los Angeles Street

When the car chase was broadcast live by KTLA-TV, video showed the man getting out of his car, running around the back of the Corvette and heading up East Olympic Blvd before being shot, clutching his stomach and falling to the ground.

Lt Neiman says there was 'great concern that he was going to hurt someone severely'.

LAPD Cmdr. Alexander Smith told 10news: 'Policy dictates that the officer using the non-lethal bean bag shotgun notify other officers so they don't think lethal force is being used'.

He added that part of the investigation will be whether verbal warning was given.

Beaird's brother John said during the chase, Beaird called his father asking, 'Why are they after me? I didn't do anything.'

Won't stop: The car chase started around 9pm in South Gate when police tried to pull over the unidentified driver of this silver Corvette for reckless driving and a possible DUI

Won't stop: The car chase started around 9pm in South Gate when police tried to pull over the unidentified driver of this silver Corvette for reckless driving and a possible DUI

Tracking: When the man refused to yield, police pursued the vehicle as it made its way through the streets of Los Angeles for more than an hour

Tracking: When the man refused to yield, police pursued the vehicle as it made its way through the streets of Los Angeles for more than an hour

Officers from three police agencies tailed the man for more than an hour starting at 9pm when police in South Gate attempted to pull him over for reckless driving and a possible DUI.

When the driver refused to pull over, police followed him in cars and with a helicopter as he spend through Cudahy, Huntington Park, South Gate, Walnut Park and into South Los Angeles.

Sky9's Meghan Reyes reported that the man was driving without his headlights on and 'just driving in circles'.

The man's corvette was also outfitted with special tires that resisted puncture when police tried to use a spike strip to stop him.

The chase finally came to an end around 10:30pm when he sped through a light and hit another driver crossing the intersection in front of him in a T-bone collision.

The corvette spun all the way around before stopping on the side of the road at the intersection of South Los Angeles St and East Olympic Blvd.

The other car was thrown into a fire hydrant which sent water shooting into the air and spilling onto the street.


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Why didn't the father call the police (aka 911) to let them know that IF it was his son, that this is what is going on: paranoia on many levels. Then, they could have handled things a bit differently or not. But then the father could have gone public with "I tried to stop it and save my son."

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my condolences to the family for such a horrible tragedy, but honestly the boy should not have been driving if he suffered from such severe paranoia. that condition could trigger at any time and endanger all drivers. not good. driving is a privilege not a right, and shouldn't be treated as such.

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The guy was disabled, he was clinically paranoid, and he was driving around LA after dark in a Corvette. He made some bad choices.

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He did wrong, if he had nothing to hide, he should had stop and face the cop, running only make the matter worst, and he would be alive today.

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Drive and act like a fool, die like a fool.

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most cops become cops so that they can shoot people legally! I'm sleep tho

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Good no taxpayers money to waste on a trial here. Obey the law or suffer the consequences . How many times have we seen this arrogant behavior from these people who believe they are above the law. So sick of the I didn't do anything wrong so I will do more wrong and not pull over, all the while endanger 100's of others for my arrogance. Good job LAPD! Anyone who tries to evade the police should just be shot and save us taxpayers the trial and jail money. I hope they all get medals.

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Unbelievable - let him without sin.........

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I live in L.A. and we all know the LAPD are trigger happy ex-military types. It doesn't matter what you do. You can be shot and they will claim it was justified. This was clearly a case of excessive force.

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So how would you feel if you and your family were driving & this guy hit you & killed your entire family while he was speeding through the city? You wouldn't be happy would you? Police did the right thing here.

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Should have pulled over!

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The father ustated in the article that his son suffered fro paranoia ever since having brain tumor surgery several years ago. Obviously, this was a condition over which he had little control. I didn't read anything about him being drunk. Watching his son, with his hands in the air, being shot 22 times is more suffering then I can comprehend. It's absolutely intimidating how often encounters with the police end so violently now. Horrific.

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Were you there? No. So I suggest you save your "opinion" on what the police should have done until you have walked a day in their shoes.

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Well little miss b----- kat. It was shown live on TV, so we did get to see it.

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