LAPD officer dies during training to ‘simulate a mob,’ family claims

LOS ANGELES (Gray News) - The family of a fallen Los Angeles Police Department officer said they want answers regarding his death.

Houston Tipping died last month of neck injuries suffered during training. According to a wrongful death claim filed against the city, he had been beaten by fellow officers in an exercise meant to “simulate a mob,” the Associated Press reported.

He was hurt May 26 and died three days later. Tipping, an LAPD officer who regularly patrolled parts of the San Fernando Valley, was 32 years old.

Shirley Huffman hired an attorney to find out what happened to her son, and they filed notice of claim against the city Friday, which can be a precursor to a lawsuit.

“There were injuries to multiple areas of Houston’s body. Two sides of his head, one side of his head needed staples to close the cuts and bleeding, and the other side was swelling,” attorney Bradley Gage said.

Huffman claimed her son suffered multiple breaks to his neck, the AP said.

In addition to the claim against the city, a public records act request has also been filed. The family is seeking videotapes the LAPD reportedly filmed during the training.

“I know that we’ve had silence from the department as to what happened, how it happened, why it happened. So I don’t know, but I’m going to find out,” Gage said.

Tipping was with the department for five years before he lost his life.

His exact cause of death is unknown, the family attorney saying he has yet to see an autopsy report.

A funeral service for Tipping was held Wednesday. The department is not commenting on the legal claim filed, but only on Tipping himself.

“Houston, in his short 32 years, showed us all there is right and good among us,” LAPD Chief Michael Moore said.

Tipping’s career to serve - to give - didn’t end in death. His organs were all donated.

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