There will be no criminal charges brought against eight Los Angeles police officers who mistakenly opened fire on two innocent women during the 2013 manhunt for cop-killer, Christopher Dorner. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office announced the decision last week, saying there was “insufficient admissible evidence” of criminal wrongdoing in the case.
Margie Carranza and her 71-year-old mother Emma Hernandez were delivering newspapers in Torrance on Feb. 7, 2013 when the blue pickup truck they were driving was mistaken for Dorner’s vehicle, described as a dark blue or grey Nissan Titan. As the two women slowly drove down the darkened street, they suddenly found themselves dodging a barrage of police bullets. Hernandez was shot twice in the back, while Carranza suffered injuries to her hands from flying debris.
The two women later received a $4.2 million legal settlement from the city and money for a new truck. But they also wished to see the cops prosecuted, calling the incident a “savage deed.”
In its memo, the D.A.’s office cited the overwhelming and “justifiable” fears that consumed police at the time of the shooting. When it occurred, the officers were protecting the Torrance home of a police captain who was believed to be Dorner’s next target.
"There is no evidence to suggest that the officers did not honestly believe that Dorner was in the vehicle, nor is there evidence to suggest that the officers did not honestly believe they were being fired upon,” the memo states. Nevertheless, the officers were faulted by Police Chief Charlie Beck and forced to undergo retraining before returning to the field.
The victims’ attorney Glen Jonas criticized the decision Wednesday, saying a special prosecutor should have been assigned to the case. The Los Angeles Police Department, meanwhile, has refused to comment.
Read more about the D.A.’s announcement here.
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