LAPD names officers who fatally shot mentally ill man in South L.A.

1/18

Demonstrators block the southbound 110 Freeway, protesting in the wake of the Ezell Ford’s autopsy released in Los Angeles. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

2/18

Lying on his father’s shoulder, Adam Mangum, 3, attends a vigil for Ezell Ford near his memorial at 65th street and Broadway. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

3/18

A demonstrator draws a portrait of Ezell Ford near his memorial at 65th Street and Broadway. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

4/18

Tritobia Ford, mother of Ezell Ford, lights candles at her slain son’s memorial at 65th Street and Broadway after the LAPD released Ezell Ford’s autopsy results. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

5/18

Demonstrators light candles around the corner from Ezell Ford’s memorial. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

6/18

A pedestrian passes a memorial to Ezell Ford. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

7/18

Protesters block Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards in Los Angeles on Monday. (Wally Skaij / Los Angeles Times)

8/18

Hailly Flowers, right, hugs activist Najee Ali after a rally in Los Angeles Monday. About 40 demonstrators held a rally at Leimert Park following the release of Ezell Ford’s autopsy report. (Wally Skaij / Los Angeles Times)

9/18

Protesters walk by a homeless man reading a book on Crenshaw Boulevard on Monday. (Wally Skaij / Los Angeles Times)

10/18

Lavell Ford, the brother of Ezell, puts votive candles at the foot of his memorial on the day the LAPD released the coroner’s report. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

11/18

Lavell Ford, Ezell Ford’s brother, lights a candle after marching with about 200 people from 65th Street and Broadway to the Jesse A. Brewer 77th Street Regional Headquarters on 77th and Broadway in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

12/18

Lavell Ford, Ezell Ford’s brother, wears a shirt that reads “Save Black Boys” during a march in remembrance of Ezell Ford, who was killed in a confrontation with Los Angeles police. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

13/18

About 200 people march from 65th Street and Broadway to the Jesse A. Brewer 77th Street Regional Headquarters in remembrance of Ezell Ford, who died during a confrontation with police in South Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

14/18

15/18

16/18

Lavell Ford, Ezell Ford’s brother, wears a shirt that reads “Save Black Boys” as he marches with about 200 people from 65th Street and Broadway to the Jesse A. Brewer 77th Street Regional Headquarters in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

17/18

18/18

Aubriel Turner, 2, eats an ice cream cone Wednesday near candles placed on the sidewalk in remembrance of her cousin, Ezell Ford, who was killed by Los Angeles police officers in the 200 block of West 65th Street. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

By Kate Mather

and Richard Winton

Aug. 28, 2014 5:22 PM PT

More than two weeks after the police shooting of a mentally ill man in South Los Angeles, LAPD officials released Thursday the names of two officers involved in the deadly shooting.

The department identified the officers who shot Ezell Ford on Aug. 11 as Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas, who are both assigned to the Newton Division gang enforcement detail.

LAPD records show Wampler has been on the force for 12 years and Villegas for eight years.

The decision to release the names came after some South L.A. residents and others who criticized the department for not releasing the names soon after the shooting. Department officials said they were waiting to decide whether to make the names public while investigators conducted a “threat assessment” to evaluate whether any credible threats had been made to the officers’ safety.

The California Supreme Court recently ruled that police departments must generally provide the names of officers involved in shootings, unless they can demonstrate there are credible threats to the officers’ safety.

“In this particular case, it was necessary to investigate evidence brought to the department’s attention regarding potential threats to the safety of the officers and ensure that measures were taken to mitigate those threats,” the LAPD said in a statement naming the officers on Thursday.

Police have also placed a security hold on Ford’s autopsy to prevent coroner’s officials from publicly releasing information about Ford’s wounds. Officials have also declined to provide information about why the officers approached Ford as he was walking home along West 65^th Street near Broadway.

Police say Ford, 25, tackled one of the officers and reached for his gun, prompting both officers to open fire. A witness who saw part of the incident told The Times she saw no struggle.

Ford’s death came just two days after an 18-year-old black man was shot and killed in Ferguson, Mo. In contrast to peaceful protests in Los Angeles after Ford’s death, Michael Brown’s death sparked days of violence in Missouri and nationwide scrutiny of police behavior.

Ferguson police identified the officer involved in that shooting on Aug. 15, six days after Brown was killed.

For more breaking crime news, follow @katemather and @lacrimes.