Former Police Officer's International Travel While Facing Murder Charge Exposed in Court Documents
Startling court filings have revealed that a former Los Angeles Police Department officer, charged with murder in the fatal 2015 shooting of an unarmed homeless man, was able to take multiple international flights while an arrest warrant was active against him. Clifford Proctor, who resigned from the LAPD in 2017, faces second-degree murder charges for the death of Brendon Glenn during an altercation in Venice Beach nearly a decade ago.
The 2015 Shooting and Initial Investigation
The incident occurred in May 2015 when Proctor and fellow officer Jonathan Kawahara responded to disturbance calls involving Glenn and his dog outside a Venice Beach bar. According to official reports, the encounter escalated into a physical struggle, culminating in Proctor firing two shots into Glenn's back. The 29-year-old victim succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital shortly afterward.
Proctor's defense team maintained their client acted under the belief that Glenn was attempting to seize Kawahara's service weapon. This justification initially influenced then-District Attorney Jackie Lacey's 2018 decision not to pursue criminal charges, with Lacey stating Proctor's actions were not unreasonable given the circumstances he perceived.
Case Reopening and Contradictory Evidence
However, the case took a dramatic turn following George Gascón's election as District Attorney in 2020. Gascón, who defeated Lacey partly due to public outrage over her handling of police use-of-force cases, appointed special prosecutor Lawrence Middleton to reexamine several controversial incidents, including Glenn's death.
Grand jury transcripts unsealed last year contained crucial testimony from Officer Kawahara, who directly contradicted Proctor's version of events. "I didn't feel or see Mr. Glenn trying to disarm me," Kawahara testified against his former partner, undermining the central premise of Proctor's defense.
Delayed Arrest and International Travel
Proctor was formally charged with second-degree murder on September 20, 2024, but authorities did not issue an arrest warrant until October 3, 2024. Court documents indicate this delay was intended to provide investigators "an opportunity to locate the defendant."
Remarkably, during this interim period, Proctor boarded a flight to Trinidad on October 2, 2024, according to November court filings. Defense attorney Tom Yu characterized this journey as a "pre-planned vacation" and insisted his client was not attempting to evade justice.
Proctor remained at large until October 2025, when Customs and Border Protection agents apprehended him at Los Angeles International Airport. Defense filings reveal Proctor had scheduled travel from Los Angeles to Panama City for October 16, 2025, shortly before his detention.
Questions About Arrest Procedures
The extended period between indictment and arrest has raised serious questions about law enforcement procedures. In November court filings, defense attorney Yu pointedly asked, "What happened to all of 2025? He was here. Did they just let the year skip? Sorry, we forgot?" describing the failure to act as "reckless."
Greg Risling of the LA County District Attorney's office acknowledged to The Los Angeles Times that investigators monitored Proctor's Carson residence in October 2024, but by the time arrest authorization was secured, Proctor could not be located. Risling confirmed no further attempts were made to apprehend Proctor before his October 2025 arrest at LAX.
Jurisdictional Limitations and Current Status
A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson revealed additional complications, noting that agents encountered Proctor "at airports outside the state of California" following the indictment, but were prevented from making arrests due to warrant restrictions. "The warrant was restricted to 'in-state pick-up only' and did not permit extradition to California," the spokesperson explained.
Following his arrest, Proctor was released on $100,000 bail in November 2025 and granted permission by the court to travel to Seattle, Washington for work purposes. The former officer has pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder charge, while prosecutors continue to deliberate whether to proceed to trial. Proctor is scheduled to return to court next month as the legal proceedings continue to unfold.
