December 30, 2025: District Attorney s Office Declines to File Charges in 2023 Fatal Shooting of Anthony Lowe

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced today that criminal charges will not be filed against two Huntington Park police officers who shot and killed Anthony Lowe on Jan. 26, 2023. Lowe, a double amputee, had threatened officers with a ten-inch butcher's knife used minutes before in an attempted murder of another individual. Lowe was attempting to flee the scene of the attempted murder at the time the officers shot and killed him.

A 28-page District Attorney report report concluded after a rigorous analysis that despite his physical limitations, Lowe presented an imminent deadly threat to the officers and other people.

"Based on the facts and circumstances presented, it cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers lacked a reasonable belief that the use of deadly force was necessary to defend against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officers or others, and to apprehend a fleeing felon," the report said.

"Although Mr. Lowe was a double amputee, he had the ability to maneuver quickly and posed a serious danger to the responding officers," District Attorney Hochman said. "This was a tragic set of events that was spurred on by Mr. Lowe's dangerous actions that forced both officers to make a split-second decision to use deadly force.

When deciding whether to file criminal charges against officers for an on-duty shooting, this office is held to the highest legal standard of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In this case, there is insufficient evidence to meet that standard."

The 28-page report, which includes photographs, is attached.A video detailing the officer-involved shooting of Lowe and the extensive legal and factual analysis behind the decision can be found here. Viewer discretion is advised.

Under the law, on-duty police officers can act in lawful self-defense or defense of someone else if it appears that they actually and reasonably believed they or another were in imminent danger of great bodily injury or death.

In this case, prosecutors from the Justice System Integrity Division determined the evidence did not support a finding that Huntington Park Police Officers Joshua Volasgis and Paul Munoz were unreasonable in believing Lowe, 36, posed an imminent threat of great bodily injury to others.

On Jan. 26, 2023, at about 3:40 p.m., police responded to a call of a man being stabbed in Huntington Park. Lowe, who was in his wheelchair, was loitering on a street corner when he got out of his wheelchair and stabbed the man from behind, causing serious injury.

Lowe, who a year earlier had his legs amputated below his knees after jumping from a Texas freeway overpass during a confrontation with police, fled the scene. Officers Volasgis and Munoz responded and found Lowe minutes later.

As Lowe rolled away from the officers in the wheelchair, Volasgis and Munoz drew their handguns. Volasgis put his weapon back in his holster and overturned the wheelchair. When Lowe fell to the ground, officers saw Lowe armed with a 10-inch butcher's knife.

When Lowe refused to drop the knife, Officer Munoz fired his Taser gun at Lowe, but it did not have any effect. As Lowe moved down the sidewalk rapidly on his knees, Officer Freddy Ramirez joined Officers Munoz and Volasgis on scene.

Lowe then stopped and turned toward the officers several times. When he raised the knife above his head and appeared that he may throw the knife at Officer Ramirez, Officer Volasgis, who had drawn his firearm again, and Officer Munoz fired multiple shots at Lowe, killing him.

"Ultimately, when Lowe faced the officers and raised the knife into a throwing position from approximately 13 feet away [from one of the officers], with the present ability to strike from that distance, the officers reasonably believed they needed to fire their service weapons to protect themselves and their fellow officers," according to the report.

The shooting was captured on surveillance videos. Huntington Park police did not have cameras equipped to their uniforms or dashcams in their cars at the time of the shooting.

An autopsy showed that Lowe had methamphetamine in his bloodstream. Further investigation revealed from family interviews that he had attempted suicide and had recently been involuntarily committed because he had wanted to kill himself.

The investigation conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department included reviewing and analyzing surveillance videos, 911 and dispatch recordings, witness interviews, crime scene diagrams medical records, and material from the court files of civil lawsuits filed in connection with this matter as well as information provided by attorneys representing family members.