Man shot dead by CHP officer was a struggling actor

The man fatally shot by a California Highway Patrol officer on a Los Angeles freeway was a troubled struggling actor — whose family always “backed the blue” before seeing video of him killed by “absolute police brutality,” his stepmom said.

Jesse Dominguez, an aspiring actor working as a waiter and living in a sober living facility due to drug addiction, was shot dead by police during what his family claims was likely a mental health crisis while he was living sober living facility

“I’ve pretty much ‘backed the blue’ in a lot of circumstances,” stepmom Akasha Dominguez told the Los Angeles Times.

“There have been issues where [police] used excessive force. But I’ve never been on the other end. Now I have a completely different stance,” she said. “This is absolutely police brutality.”

The 33-year-old was a “softie” who lost his way trying to make it in California, according to his dad, Jesse Dominguez.

“We just feel terrible that L.A. just robbed him,” his grieving dad told the local paper.

“The Hollywood scene sucked him into wanting to be that persona. No matter how hard we tried to get him to do other jobs or seek formal education, that’s what he wanted to do. We weren’t going to crush his dreams,” his father said.

California Highway Patrol cops responded to reports of Dominguez walking along the 105 Freeway in Watts, not far from the sober living facility where he lived.

When confronted by the officer, Dominguez “was able to access a Taser,” which he used against the officer, CHP Officials said.

“In fear for his safety, the officer fired his service weapon, striking the pedestrian,” the CHP said in a statement.

Graphic video footage shared online shows Dominguez and the officer wrestling on the ground before the officer fires multiple shots at him.

Dominguez’s family said he carried a Taser after being threatened by others living at the sober facility.

The aspiring actor’s stepmom said she couldn’t wrap her head around why the cop would engage with him, as he was clearly going through a crisis, and why he resorted to deadly force so quickly — even though he had a Taser.

“I don’t know why the officer thought to engage. If someone is walking on the freeway, something is not right. They’re either in mental health crisis or something else is happening,” she said.

“He was not trying to hurt anybody. Why did he have to use that type of force? After [the officer] had already discharged his firearm once, why did he stand up and then do it again and again and again?”

The California Department of Justice is investigating the shooting.