He has every right to defend himself under those circumstances.”įamily members of the Frenches are challenging that account of the event. “The justification based on this has really jumped way off the scale. “What type of person punches a parent and knocks them out carrying a baby?” he said. ![]() The injury makes him a victim of a serious violent felony - one that would likely have made him disoriented, groggy and launched his brain into a “fight or flight” mode - as opposed to a misdemeanor battery in which the injury was not as significant, Obayashi said. If the officer was knocked unconscious during the attack, as his attorney alleges, it would justify the use of deadly force, said Ed Obayashi, a Plumas County sheriff’s deputy and use-of-force adviser to the California Assn. That investigation is separate from the criminal one. Ultimately, the five-person Los Angeles Police Commission will decide whether the officer was justified in the shooting and whether he followed department rules before pulling the trigger. Sanchez has been employed with the LAPD since May 2012, according to department records. Los Angeles investigators are assessing whether the off-duty officer, who has yet to be officially identified by the force, violated any department policies in the shooting. The officer - who was identified by multiple sources as Salvador Sanchez, a patrol officer in the Southwest Division - suffered minor injuries. Once all the evidence has been gathered and evaluated, it will be presented to the Riverside County district attorney for a decision on charges, he said. Johnstone said his department’s investigation had been hindered by not being able to interview everyone involved. “For several reasons, including the need to interview a number of witnesses and review evidence, no arrest was made at the time of the incident,” Johnstone said, noting the chaotic scene. “I pray for their recovery.”Ĭorona Police Chief George Johnstone said in a video statement released Tuesday that his detectives will continue to interview witnesses and evaluate video and forensic evidence from the store. His parents, Russell and Paola French, remain hospitalized in critical condition, the chief said. “The use of deadly force, whether on- or off-duty, is a matter that is the most-scrutinized decision that we have in this organization, and in this instance, it will be as well.”įrench was struck by gunfire multiple times. “I’ll wait for the full investigation before commenting on the officer’s decision to use deadly force,” Moore said. LAPD Chief Michel Moore briefly addressed the shooting in front of the Police Commission on Tuesday, telling the panel, “There’s many more questions than answers at this point.” When he awoke, the officer was “fighting for his life,” the attorney said.Īuthorities said the assault, which was captured on Costco security cameras, was unprovoked and led the officer to fire his 9-millimeter pistol. The officer fatally shot French and critically wounded French’s parents.Īttorney David Winslow, who is representing the officer, said his client was getting a food sample for his son when he was attacked and knocked unconscious. "You can't claim self-defense if you're shooting someone in the back from 20 feet away.“The shooting was excessive and completely unjustified,” Galipo said, noting French was unarmed. "He was murdered," French's cousin Jackie Shureih told CBS2 Wednesday. Several family members of Kenneth took part in Wednesday's protest, demanding that DA Mike Hestrin reconsider his decision not to prosecute Sanchez. (CBS2)Ī grand jury convened last month and recommended no criminal charges should be brought against Sanchez for the shooting. An undated photo of 32-year-old Kenneth French, and his parents Russell and Paula French, who were shot by an off-duty LAPD officer at a Costco in Corona, Calif., on June 14, 2019. His parents were critically wounded but survived. Kenneth, who has been described as as schizophrenic and nonverbal, was killed. Sanchez then fired off 10 rounds from a handgun. Surveillance video appeared to show French physically striking Sanchez while Sanchez was holding his 18-month-old son in his arms. ![]() ![]() The shooting occurred after a physical altercation between French and Sanchez.
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