An officer shot an unarmed homeless man, fled the country, and now his murder charge is gone.

An officer shot an unarmed homeless man, fled the country, and now his murder charge is gone.

A judge dismissed the case against former LAPD officer Clifford Proctor, saying prosecutors hid key evidence from the grand jury.

When a badge is involved, the path to justice is rarely straight. A decade after a fatal shooting on a sunny beach boardwalk, a family is left with nothing but questions as a murder case falls apart.

What Happened

In May 2015, LAPD officer Clifford Proctor shot and killed Brendon Glenn, a 29-year-old homeless man, near the Venice Beach Boardwalk. The police department's own chief said Proctor shot Glenn twice in the stomach and once in the back, and wanted him charged.

But for years, nothing happened. First, the local district attorney declined to charge Proctor, even though the city paid $4 million to Glenn's family to settle a lawsuit. Then, a new district attorney finally filed murder charges in 2024, prompting Proctor to flee to Trinidad.

Now, just months after Proctor flew back to Los Angeles and was arrested, a judge has thrown the murder charge out. The judge ruled that prosecutors failed to show key evidence to the grand jury that could have helped Proctor's defense.

What the evidence shows

• 3 shots: Proctor shot Glenn twice in the stomach and once in the back during a physical struggle.
• $4 million: The amount the city of Los Angeles paid to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit with Glenn's family.
• 10 eyewitnesses: People who saw the confrontation and gave statements to investigators.
• 1 year: The approximate time Proctor spent in Trinidad after fleeing the country to avoid the murder charge.
• 18 arrests: The past record of Brendon Glenn, who was unarmed but confrontational before the shooting.

The Bigger Question

How can a city pay $4 million for a wrongful death while its court system decides no crime took place? This case shows how hard it is to hold police officers legally responsible when they use deadly force.

We have to ask why it took a decade and three different district attorneys to get to this point. When politics and prosecutors change with every election, does the search for truth get lost in the noise?

The Other Side

Proctor’s defense attorney, Tom Yu, praised the judge for doing the right thing, calling the murder indictment nonsensical. A previous investigation found that Glenn was drunk, high, and aggressive, and a use-of-force expert concluded Proctor reacted to a real threat.

This argument appears strong because the judge agreed that prosecutors kept this crucial information from the grand jury, making the original indictment look biased.

What Happens Now

The current District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, says he will appeal the judge's decision to throw out the case. He still believes there is plenty of proof to show Proctor committed murder.

For regular people, this means a painful saga that started in 2015 will drag on even longer. It also chips away at public trust in both the police and the courts.

What We Still Don't Know

1. Why did Clifford Proctor decide to fly back to the United States in October 2025 if he was facing a murder charge?
2. Did the prosecutors intentionally hide the helpful evidence from the grand jury, or was it an oversight?
3. Will the state appeals court agree with the judge, or will they reinstate the murder charges?

Source Note

This story is based on reporting by NBC Los Angeles. All charges are allegations - Clifford Proctor is presumed innocent until proven guilty.