The L.A. Times, Orange County edition, reported yesterday that “Four days after Santa Ana police fatally shot the driver of a stolen SUV following a 20-minute chase, authorities refused to say whether he was armed or why officers fired at him.”
Here are a few excerpts from the Times article:
Police have acknowledged firing at him two different times, first at Dyer Road and Hotel Terrace Drive. The second time occurred after Powell drove down the embankment of the 55 Freeway at MacArthur Boulevard and came to a stop.
Witnesses said eight to 15 officers fired as many as 20 shots at the SUV. A female passenger emerged unscathed and was arrested on suspicion of parole violation.
Police said Powell had a history of weapons and narcotics violations and there was a warrant out for his arrest on a narcotics violation.
Santa Ana police spokesman Cpl. Jose Gonzalez declined to state the specific threat Powell presented and referred questions to the district attorney’s office, which investigates all officer-related shootings. He said his department is investigating whether the shooting was in line with its policy.
Susan Schroeder, a spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney, declined to discuss the specifics of the case as a matter of office policy.
“Our slice of the pie is very narrow,” she said. “We’re basically determining whether a police officer violated the law or not.” And that is different from whether an officer broke department policy.
Prosecutions for officers using excessive or deadly force are rare, according to experts.
Geoffrey Alpert, a professor of criminology at the University of South Carolina, said it may mislead the public when police departments have outside agencies investigate officer-involved shootings.
“They’re not looking at whether or not the shooting was justified; they just look to see if a crime was committed,” he said. “As important as whether a crime was committed is whether the shooting was justified.”
Michelle Pinoosh, a Tustin mortgage lender who was driving about the time of the shooting on nearby streets as she picked up her children from school, said the officers’ behavior seemed reckless.
“Why would you open fire on a freeway in the afternoon when school gets out?” she asked. “It just seemed incredibly irresponsible.”
My guess is that the SAPD knew the guy they were chasing was dangerous and had a history of using weapons. So they did not take any chances. But you hate to see the public endangered.
The Times article raised many good questions, which will probably go unanswered. I don’t have much confidence in our O.C. District Attorney, and the City of Santa Ana is not exactly the most open local government around.
I think Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez’ response, as reported in the O.C. Register, is also worth noting:
Santa Ana City Councilwoman Michele Martinez said she would request an inquiry into the incident, especially into the manner in which police conducted themselves and the amount of force that was used.
Cops can’t wait to shoot someone…that’s why they signed up for the job. Yet another reason why local law enforcement just can’t be trusted.
I have a theory, there’s two types of cops, the ones that got picked on in high school and haven’t gotten over it and now carry weapons and pick on the public at large. And the ones who truly want to help the people and the community the serve. I’ll let you know what SAPD is made of once i move there. In my observation Irvine is entirely the former; In a gaggle, they’ll stop anyone for anything, but alone, they quiver in their boots doing traffic stops with guns unstrapped when approaching a blonde woman in a luxury car.
Folks, can you imagine if the SUV was loaded with Pedroza, Mill, Gordon and Gallegos?
The OC Register and LA Times would report assassination to shut down the free speech in Santa Ana.
Obey the laws of our land and and chances are you won’t get shot.
anon 9:57
Thats the problem!
Any one of those bullets could have hit someone on the freeway or an innocent bystander who was obeying the laws of our land.
Most of us don’t know enough about this incident to pass judgement, but we should all be concerned about bullets flying around our cities.
“we should all be concerned about bullets flying around our cities.”
anon 9:57,
Since our city is about 80% Hispanic the chances are only 20% that the stray bullet would hit innocent person.
#6,
Stan F. why so many aliases?Now you even asnwer your self through your multiple aliases.
Dr. Lomeli – please,
The Agent Orange is the only post which belongs to me. (The Paranoia?, The Shadows on the wall?)
Please go back to your hardening amalgam, stick to your decay cavities and root canals.
The blogging may be a challenge for you.
-Stan
My only question was why did the girl walk away from the incident unharmed? I thought men and women are supposed to be treated as equals in the U.S. today! I think some of those cops need to put in some more time at the firing range! Practice makes perfect fellas!
“Police said Powell had a history of weapons and narcotics violations and there was a warrant out for his arrest on a narcotics violation.”
What this statement implies is that the cops are now psychic. Pumping20 rounds into a suspect was justified because of the above statement. Well, I can rest a lot easier now.
This guy was using a stolen SUV as a weapon and paid the price for doing so.
Did anyone ever thought that when Kevin was shot at, the first time, that maybe he was hit and that when the SUV ended in the ditch that maybe he was unconscious by then and that Ms. Guzman knew this and wanted Kevin to be killed by the police? Maybe with Kevin dead she can blame anything and everything on him, so she would not have to go back to jail/prison. Why didn’t she get out of the SUV when police order them to do so? The police had to have noticed that she was in the SUV. Maybe the car was not stolen. Who was the person who reported it stolen, maybe the police should question, & look into their past & did Kevin know this person? I’m not saying that Kevin was an angel and what he was doing or have done may be right, but no one deserves to be shot the way he was. Did the police ever wonder why Kevin did not make a move or exit the SUV when ordered? Why didn’t the police say that he was armed or that he was a threat to the officers, something is not adding-up. We do not know the truth and never will, but I bet anything that Ms. Guzman knows the truth, maybe she needs to be question until she does tells the truth. I have never seen a police chase end-up with the police killing the suspect even if the suspect was or was not armed, they always try to negotiate or wait it out until the suspect gives up; then again this was not on TV like other car chases. I can repect that all police officers are not all bad, but I do know this, that Kevin had God in his life, he may not lived a perfect life or maybe the way God wanted him to or the way you think he should, but who is perfect, I’m not,are you? He is with God now looking down. Hoping that the truth will come to light.
Good questions, Anon
When would you expect these questions to be asked and answered?
Before he used the SUV to try and hit someone to cause death or injury? Or the second time? Or the third time?
How many free passes should a person using a lethal weapon get?