LA compensates 2 for truck mistakenly shot during Dorner manhunt
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The city has agreed to give $40,000 to two women whose pickup was shot up by a Police Department protection detail that mistook their newspaper delivery vehicle for the truck driven by rogue ex-cop Christopher Dorner during his rampage, officials announced Thursday.
The tax-free settlement covering the pickup and other property came quickly after the women's attorney, Glen Jonas, rejected Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck's offer of a replacement truck because the women would have had to pay taxes. The deal specified no admission of liability.
Margie Carranza and her 71-year-old mother, Emma Hernandez, were delivering papers around 5 a.m. Feb. 7 when LAPD officers guarding the suburban Torrance home of a Dorner target blasted at least 100 rounds into their Toyota pickup. Hernandez was shot in the back and Carranza had minor injuries.
Jonas said the women were still not doing well.
"Margie's still very emotionally impacted and Emma is suffering from her injuries," Jonas said.
Jonas, who noted he has waived all his fees, said he hoped that all other issues including personal injury can be resolved without the need to file a lawsuit or have a trial.
City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said the truck compensation was one of the fastest resolutions of a case he can remember in his term.
The women were expected to receive the money in two to four days.
The errant shooting in Torrance occurred just hours after Dorner shot and wounded a Los Angeles police officer in Riverside County and then ambushed two police officers in the city of Riverside, killing one and wounding the other.
Dorner was on the run in a Nissan Titan pickup after being named as the suspect in the murders of a retired LAPD captain's daughter and her fiance. The former captain had represented Dorner at an LAPD disciplinary hearing that led to his firing. The double-murder investigation led to discovery of a manifesto posted online by Dorner that vowed to wage war on Los Angeles police.
Dorner hid out in the San Bernardino Mountains until Feb. 12, when he tried to flee but law enforcement converged on him. Dorner killed one sheriff's deputy and wounded another in a gunbattle that ended with fire consuming the cabin he holed up in. Authorities believe he killed himself with a gunshot to the head.
The attack on the women's pickup truck wasn't the only mistaken police shooting that morning in Torrance. Moments later, nearby local police opened fire on a pickup truck driven by a surfer heading to the beach.
The tax-free settlement covering the pickup and other property came quickly after the women's attorney, Glen Jonas, rejected Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck's offer of a replacement truck because the women would have had to pay taxes. The deal specified no admission of liability.
Margie Carranza and her 71-year-old mother, Emma Hernandez, were delivering papers around 5 a.m. Feb. 7 when LAPD officers guarding the suburban Torrance home of a Dorner target blasted at least 100 rounds into their Toyota pickup. Hernandez was shot in the back and Carranza had minor injuries.
Jonas said the women were still not doing well.
"Margie's still very emotionally impacted and Emma is suffering from her injuries," Jonas said.
Jonas, who noted he has waived all his fees, said he hoped that all other issues including personal injury can be resolved without the need to file a lawsuit or have a trial.
City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said the truck compensation was one of the fastest resolutions of a case he can remember in his term.
The women were expected to receive the money in two to four days.
The errant shooting in Torrance occurred just hours after Dorner shot and wounded a Los Angeles police officer in Riverside County and then ambushed two police officers in the city of Riverside, killing one and wounding the other.
Dorner was on the run in a Nissan Titan pickup after being named as the suspect in the murders of a retired LAPD captain's daughter and her fiance. The former captain had represented Dorner at an LAPD disciplinary hearing that led to his firing. The double-murder investigation led to discovery of a manifesto posted online by Dorner that vowed to wage war on Los Angeles police.
Dorner hid out in the San Bernardino Mountains until Feb. 12, when he tried to flee but law enforcement converged on him. Dorner killed one sheriff's deputy and wounded another in a gunbattle that ended with fire consuming the cabin he holed up in. Authorities believe he killed himself with a gunshot to the head.
The attack on the women's pickup truck wasn't the only mistaken police shooting that morning in Torrance. Moments later, nearby local police opened fire on a pickup truck driven by a surfer heading to the beach.
It's interesting that some of those who say that $40K is a drop in the bucket, and who would sue for $millions, are some of the same people who rant incessantly both about people milking the system, and about all the "outrageous" civil suits these days.Â
I guess that "Tort Reform" is no longer a right wing obsession...
@OrcasThunderWhile I generally agree with you that there are way too many sue-happy people out there; these folks were nearly killed by police officers who fired on a vehicle without identifying who they were shooting at. Cops are usually fully on board with one of the cardinal rules of firearm use; "Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified." This is one of the most disturbing cases I've heard of in a long time, and I think that some serious consequences need to be levied against the LEOs that pulled their triggers. I'm a big supporter of LEOs, but this defies logic. Thus, I can't blame the folks that call for some serious compensation in this case. There will definitely be civil suits resulting from this fiasco.
Oh - and what's the deal with all the bullet holes on the passenger side? I'm pretty sure that everyone knew that this nutcase was alone. Did they think that he'd picked up an accomplice, or were they missing wide-right? Daammmm!
@jr. assoc. to the deputy director of gov. accounta"these folks were nearly killed by police officers who fired on a vehicle without identifying who they were shooting at."
And I fully agree with your post - they should have more than the miniscule amount they got - I wouldn't hire that attorney to settle my garbage bill.
My point in the comment above was targeted at the hypocrites who style their continuity of thought after Mitt Romney... here today, over there tomorrow, somewhere else the day after.
@the unvarnished truthOh, right...it's the one that you agree with that are justified...
There have been many cases here where the suits the right wingers scoffed at were ones that I felt were more than justified.Â
Many of them had to do with human rights and even the rampant misdoings of big business.
So yes, it's about perspective - and bad experiences in school CAN have a desvistating impact on a child, just as being on the wrong side of a cop's gun.
The point is, simply because you do not agree with the reasons for the suit, that does not negate it.Â
idiots. they will be dealing with this for the rest of their lives in one way or another. 40k? I would have gone for at least a million and the police chiefs job. And I'm not the suing type.Â
Ok - if the truck didnt match the vehice he was driving them why was the vehicle shot at ?. attempted Murder charge is what im seeing.
Mistaking two older woman for the shooter ? im just glad no childred were in the passenger seat.
They really need to go to the firing range to practice their shooting skills - nice bullet configuration ?
@thorshammer Obviously panic shooting. Definitely not the work of trained professionals.
The story I heard on the radio about this was that the police department or city was going to give them a new truck. But they put an IRS form in front of them because the truck value would have been considered income. The taxes would have cost these innocent bystanders over $10,000. So the police screw up yet it is the innocent that have to pay.
How did the cops mistake a couple old ladies in a Toyota for a felon in a Nissan?? They must have hired some ex postal workers. They can't read either from some of the mail I get. Glad they both survived along with the surfer. Those cops seemed to be a little trigger happy.
The LA Swat team - "hut hut hut hut hut..." Forget what movie that was but it was great.
@Chico I think it was The Blues Brothers.
Only $40,000!
Regarding the surfer who was ALSO shot at, I smell a big pay out.
I can only say that I would reject this sick joke were it me.This is not an opps we shot you, itâs an opps we tried to murder you and some how you lived anyway.Yes I said murder.The truck did not even match the description of Dorner's truck.
Bull.
They willfully emptied their magazines into the back of a truck that not only did not match the description (color, make, or model), but without verification that Dorner was even inside the vehicle - or, if he was, alone in the vehicle.Â
Ideally they'd find themselves on the receiving end of a prison shank.
Interesting settlement amount...
It isn't even a Nissan! These idiots have some serious explaining to do.