Boxer dies after match

From the LAT Homicide Blog - I didn’t see it anywhere else, which is sad, and indicative of the amount of crime we have that just doesn’t get reported, except in the Homicide Blog.

Calabasas: Jackson K. Bussell, 28, a Native American, died after being struck in the head during a boxing match against Javier Garcia at the Sagebrush Cantina in the 23500 block of Calabasas Road.

Bussell, by many accounts, was winning the match, except the last round. The match was declared a draw. Afterward, he appeared to be having trouble, according to LAPD West Valley homicide Det. Joel Price. He sat down on a chair in the middle of the ring, and paramedics–who were attending the fight as required–tried to treat the fading, 132-pound boxer. He kept saying, “I’m tired,” over and over, Price said. They were his last words. He collapsed and was rushed to Northridge Medical Center in grave condition. He was on life support, then pronounced dead Friday, Sept. 21, at 3:15 p.m.

Price said the sanctioned match appeared to meet all the state-required safety criteria. Paramedics were present, and although Bussell had taken a head blow earlier this summer, his medical records showed him clear to fight. This case was reported to the Coroner as a homicide, and will be investigated as such, although criminal charges probably will not result, Price said. The Homicide Report uses the Coroner’s definition of homicide–death by the hand of another–hence Bussell’s inclusion on this report. He was from the Klamath tribe of Oregon, Price said.

9/25: Update from from the LA Times here.