Seven years ago, Toni McBride joined the Los Angeles Police Department as the youngest officer in her police academy class at 20 years old. She earned “Top Shot” in the LAPD police academy and, since then, has competed in target shooting competitions across the country — chronicling her success on social media as a marksmanship pro. While she has been recognized for her strong shooting skills, her career has also been marked by controversy, including a high-profile officer-involved shooting in 2020 and legal disputes with the LAPD over social media policies.
Here are five key things to know about LAPD Officer Toni McBride.
1. Who is Toni McBride?
Toni McBride, who joined the LAPD as a reserve police officer at just 18 years old, comes from a law enforcement family. Her father, Jamie McBride, has been with the LAPD for 34 years and is one of nine directors of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the police union representing the city’s rank-and-file officers. Her sister, Jacqueline, with an age gap of 15 months from Toni, joined the LAPD after leaving her nursing career post-COVID and now serves in the department’s homicide unit. Her uncle, Eric, joined the San Bernardino (Calif.) Police Department after his time in the United States Marine Corps and several of her father’s cousins also work in law enforcement.
Listen to this September 2024 “Games of Crime” podcast to learn more about the McBride family’s law enforcement background:
Toni earned “Top Shot” while going through the reserve academy, as well as when she went through the academy as a full-time officer. Now, through her social media platforms, she shows off her skills and techniques as a competitive shooter.
2. McBride gained national attention after a 2020 officer-involved shooting
On April 22, 2020, at approximately 5:37 p.m., LAPD officers assigned to the Newton Division were responding to an unrelated call when they encountered a multi-vehicle collision at the intersection of San Pedro Street and 32nd Street. As the officers began investigating the accident, a radio call alerted them to a man armed with a weapon at the scene. Bystanders reported that the suspect involved in the crash was seen brandishing a box cutter. A 911 caller mentioned that the suspect appeared to be injuring himself and later reports indicated he was under the influence of methamphetamine.
McBride and her partner initially focused on assisting the crash victims. However, McBride soon identified the suspect as 38-year-old Daniel Hernandez, who was acting erratically while holding the box cutter. Despite officers issuing multiple commands for Hernandez to drop the weapon, he refused to comply. As Hernandez advanced toward McBride, she fired her service weapon in three bursts — totaling six rounds — with the final two rounds striking Hernandez as he rolled on the ground. Hernandez collapsed at the scene and was later pronounced dead by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics. No officers or bystanders sustained injuries in the incident.
In October 2024, after an internal review, a civilian hearing examiner overturned an earlier ruling by the LAPD Police Commission. The Commission had found that while McBride’s first four shots were justified, her final two rounds were out of policy. With the hearing examiner’s reversal, all of McBride’s actions during the shooting are now considered within department policy and any reference to the Commission’s original decision will be removed from her personnel file.
Below, is the body-worn camera footage of this incident released by the Los Angeles Police Department:
3. McBride was involved in legal disputes with the LAPD over social media restrictions
In 2023, McBride filed a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against then-LAPD Police Chief Michel Moore and the department. She alleged that Moore blocked her promotion opportunities because she would not take down videos from her social media feeds showing her at shooting competitions and training sessions. In her lawsuit, McBride claimed that Moore warned her she had to delete her social media accounts or “he would destroy her career.” She argued that her social media content was similar to that of her male colleagues and that forcing her to remove these posts unfairly hindered her career advancement. She initially sought more than $5 million in damages.
However, one year later, a jury ruled that she was not treated unfairly by the department. While her attorney maintained that her First Amendment rights were violated, the department contended that her online activity undermined her credibility as an LAPD officer. McBride has indicated plans to pursue a separate discrimination lawsuit, arguing that male officers have been given more favorable treatment for similar actions.
4. McBride has struggled with health issues since October 2020
Following the 2020 officer-involved shooting and subsequent legal battles, McBride has faced significant health challenges. McBride has been on medical leave since November 2022, citing severe physical symptoms exacerbated by stress. Court filings indicate that she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, which has impacted her ability to work. McBride initially returned to duty after the fatal OIS but later took extended medical leave as her condition worsened. Seeking specialized treatment, she relocated temporarily to Northern California. She has been outspoken on social media about her health struggles on Instagram, saying: “There are days when I can’t drive to work because I’m too sick. I’m extremely thankful for my good days and, when the bad days come, I’m still thankful because I’m alive.”
5. McBride is expecting her first child — a son — in April 2025
McBride recently announced on Instagram that she is expecting her first child — a son — due in April 2025. She shared that her pregnancy came as a surprise after doctors had previously told her in 2023 that conceiving would be difficult or nearly impossible due to her autoimmune disease.
Knowing that the pregnancy would be high-risk, McBride and her husband, Dylan, initially kept the news private, sharing it only with close friends and family. As her pregnancy progressed, she encountered severe complications, including malnutrition, dehydration and significant weight loss, leading to hospitalization. Despite the challenges, she is now in the final weeks of her pregnancy. In a heartfelt social media post, she expressed gratitude to her husband for his unwavering support, calling their unborn child a “miracle baby.”
