Nearly four months after Los Angeles police officers shot a man in the face who had been asking for their help, handcuffing him as his brains spilled out of his head, the man has come forward and spoken to the media.

Walter DeLeon was left permanently brain-damaged. Blind in one eye. Deaf in one ear. Unable to feed, dress or go to the bathroom by himself.

But he is still able to think for himself, telling reporters that all he had in his hands that day was a bottle of water and a towel.

However, in the eyes of LAPD, it looked as if he was carrying a gun, so officers stepped out of their car and ordered him to drop the gun.