Posted on 02/08/2013 12:15:18 PM PST by Red Badger
A mother and daughter who were mistakenly shot by Los Angeles police hunting for rampage suspect Christopher Dorner had no warning before bullets started whizzing through their newspaper-delivery truck, their lawyer said Friday.
“No command, no instruction, no warning. They just opened fire on them,” said Glen Jonas, who is representing Emma Hernandez, 71, and Margie Carranza, 47, in possible legal action against the LAPD.
“They had no idea what was going on. They’re huddling, covering up and praying and hoping they’re not going to die.”
Both women survived. Hernandez, shot in the back, was in good condition Friday. Her daughter suffered a hand injury during the shooting and is now physically fine, but emotionally scarred, Jonas said.
The LAPD admits the predawn Thursday shooting was a case of mistaken identity that unfolded while police were guarding the Torrance home of someone named in a manifesto that ex-cop Dorner posted online about his twisted plans to avenge his firing.
Chief Charlie Beck said the officers saw a vehicle that matched the description of Dorner’s, driving through the dark streets with no headlights – and a “police-involved shooting” ensued.
Jonas said the women’s blue Toyota Tacoma looked nothing like Dorner’s dark-gray Nissan Titan, but that even if it had been a match, the police should not have fired on it.
“They still have to give the guy an opportunity to surrender. You can’t just execute him,” the lawyer said. “It’s in these high-stress situations where you follow your training and they violated every piece of training they ever received.”
The LAPD had no comment on Jonas’ claims.
He said he expects the city will offer his clients a substantial payout; if not, he plans to file a federal civil rights lawsuit.
“Thank God they didn’t die. It’s a miracle they didn’t,” he said. “If it was a movie, you wouldn’t believe it.”
Your response is puzzling. There would have to be weapons on them to justify that shooting. What possible difference could a warning (which is the claim of the article) make?
“Don’t move or leave the vehicle! You’re scaring us!”
Car door starts to open...BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! ...
Normally I deplore Civil Litigators, all too often they are chasing ambulances, making vague claims about pharmaceuticals on daytime TV commercials or suing over hot coffee. But if this happened to me or my own, a shark would have been my first call after assurances of my family’s or my well being..
And I still think that is a Broncho Bamma sticker on the bumper of that POlice car.
At least 46 shots were fired, if a little tag near the tire (in another picture) is an indication.
Ban guns.
guns are safe in the hands of policemen?
I’m glad that it is now policemen who are having a gun battle. It lowers them to the civilian status in the sense that they should also go through all the background and mental checks.
oh, and it’s not a “man hunt” it’s a “police hunt”.
I bet they are promoted and given medals..........
Then again, why are they such bad shots?
/sarcasm
remember that story from Cleveland in December? Over 140 something rounds fired .... no suspects were around
Welcome to the shoot first and ask questions later school of police work. And you thought “Police Academy” was just a movie.
Possible legal action? I would guess that it would easily take eight figures to the left of the decimal place for them to even consider not going to court. Those cops won't be fired because they endanged civilians, they'll get canned for making those two women Megamillions jackpot winners.
Some nice grouping.
Interesting that there are bullet hole in both the driver and passenger side windows. They are after 1 guy but they tried to kill BOTH people in the truck. What if he had a hostage?
The problem is the people who did this, the people who supervise them, the people who hired them, the city-county bureaucrats who are supposed to be in charge of them will never lose a dime.... it’s always the taxpayers who pay through the nose.
The man they’re looking for is black.
Just imagine the rioting that will erupt if these Keystone Cops open fire and kill an innocent black man.
Rodney King all over again.
So you’re driving your truck delivering papers like you always do and the cops open fire on you without warning.
This raises a lot of valid 2nd Amendment questions to me.
1. Do you have an obligation to die in this circumstance?
2. If you shoot back are you now wrong?
3. What if you do shoot back and kill the criminals who fired on you? Are you guilty of anything other than self-defense?
4. This incident puts the lie to the notion that only cops have the proper training to use guns.
On an aside, this incident (one of several, so far) underlines the core of Dorner’s complaints about the LAPD and excessive use of force, doesn’t it?
In the TAILGATE!........I suspect they were trying to hit the gas tank to make it explode......just like in the movies........IDIOTS!
Well, I indicated what my assumption was, but I wasn’t there, and the only physical evidence I’ve seen is the photo. I’m waiting for the MSM to grill the PD on why they opened fire. Crickets...
If they were ATF they would be lauded as brave heroes by now
The ex-cop they are looking to assassinate may be right after all...........
I have to admit my mind wandered in that direction when I read about this. I first saw the story this morning and assumed it was one of those satire stories. This is absolutely unbelieveable.
Never mind shooting back, what if you correctly decide that somebody is trying to kill you, so you floor it? Now they won’t stop until they run your bullet-riddled truck off the road, and if it rolls over too, hey, that’s what happens when you run from the police.
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