- “Based on my review of the investigation, I have concluded that Officer Proctor’s use of deadly force was not reasonable.” – Former LAPD Chief Charlie Beck
VENICE, Calif. – Nearly a decade after the fatal shooting of Brendon Glenn, a 29-year-old unarmed man, former Los Angeles police officer Clifford Proctor has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the 2015 killing outside a Venice bar.
The arrest marks a major development in a case that has long symbolized the challenges of holding law enforcement accountable for on-duty killings. Proctor, 60, was taken into custody Thursday at Los Angeles International Airport after returning from abroad. Law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times that U.S. Customs and Border Protection flagged an outstanding felony murder warrant when Proctor arrived and that he was handed over to LAPD custody.
“The Los Angeles Police Department is aware of the arrest of a former LAPD officer at Los Angeles International Airport on a felony murder warrant,” the department said in a statement.
Brendon’s mother, Sheri Camprone, and sister, Brittany Glenn, released a statement through the family’s attorney, V. James DeSimone, reacting to the arrest.
“Although 10 years have gone by, it feels like yesterday when the tragedy took place,” they said. “Achieving justice for this terrible moment in time finally feels like a tangible thing, versus something we as a family have always hoped for.”
“It feels like the ‘pause’ button has finally been released and the rest of this criminal process will play out for all to see,” they added.
DeSimone said that, while the family feels relief, they are focused on seeing the case through to conviction.
“While there is some relief from Brendon’s family that officer Proctor has been arrested, this is a long time coming and they want ultimate justice through a criminal conviction,” he said.
DeSimone also urged the media to stop labeling Glenn as homeless.
“He had a home to come to with his family,” he said. “Brendon was a kind, loving son, brother, and father, and there was so much more to him than that unfortunate descriptor.”
The 2015 shooting unfolded after Proctor and another officer responded to reports of a disturbance outside a bar near the Venice Speedway. Glenn was observed in an altercation with a bouncer, and after officers intervened, Proctor shot him twice in the back while Glenn was pinned to the ground. Glenn was unarmed.
Former LAPD Chief Charlie Beck called the shooting unjustified and publicly urged prosecutors to charge Proctor with manslaughter.
“Based on my review of the investigation, I have concluded that Officer Proctor’s use of deadly force was not reasonable,” Beck said at the time. His call for prosecution was unprecedented in LAPD history.
However, in 2018, then–District Attorney Jackie Lacey declined to file criminal charges, arguing that the evidence did not meet the threshold for conviction. An 83-page report from her office claimed that, while the body camera footage contradicted some of Proctor’s statements, it could not definitively prove that Glenn did not reach for another officer’s gun.
Glenn’s family and community activists condemned that decision, staging protests and demanding accountability. The Los Angeles Police Commission also ruled that the shooting violated department policy, finding that Glenn’s hand was never seen “on or near any portion” of a holster and that Proctor’s partner “never made any statements or actions” suggesting Glenn was trying to take his weapon.
After Lacey’s decision, the case remained dormant until George Gascón was elected district attorney in 2020 on a platform of police accountability. Gascón appointed former federal prosecutor Lawrence Middleton as a special prosecutor to review cases where officers had not been charged, including Glenn’s.
That review led to a warrant being issued for Proctor’s arrest in October 2024. At the time, law enforcement officials said Proctor was living abroad.
“It is about time that the next step toward bringing justice for the family of Brendon Glenn is taken by arresting the officer who is responsible for his death,” DeSimone said in response to the warrant. “I know this is something that is very important to his mother and sister and they hope ultimate justice is achieved with a conviction.”
Proctor’s attorney, Bill Seki, said last year he had not been in contact with his former client and questioned the timing of the case.
“I’m surprised that they’re reviewing it at this time … I find it interesting that they would do something like this so close to the election,” Seki said in a previous Times interview, referencing Gascón’s reelection campaign.
Proctor resigned from the LAPD in 2017 and was later charged in an unrelated domestic violence case in Orange County. That case ended in a plea deal that barred him from owning a firearm for ten years.
Craig Lally, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said in a statement that the union has not represented Proctor since his departure. “We have confidence that the criminal justice system will produce a fair outcome with regard to this tragedy,” Lally said.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the current case or whether it will proceed under a murder theory or another charge.
For Glenn’s family, the arrest represents a long-awaited step toward accountability in a city still reckoning with the legacy of police violence.
“Achieving justice finally feels tangible,” they said. “It’s something we’ve always hoped for, but now we can finally see it begin.”
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