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A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 28 december 2018

Police: Migrant in U.S. illegally kills officer born in Fiji

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ wearing a silver chain,
Associated Press jeans, dark T-shirt and a
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — dark jacket with white
Ronil Singh came to the U.S. Ecko brand patches on the
from his native Fiji to fulfill a shoulders.
lifelong dream of becom- A truck believed to have
ing an officer, joining a been the one stopped by
small-town police force in Singh was later found in a
California and working to garage in a mobile home
improve his English. park about 4 miles (6 kilo-
The day after Christmas, meters) from the shooting,
he stopped another immi- where law enforcement of-
grant, this one in the coun- ficers were serving a search
try illegally, who shot and warrant, The Modesto Bee
killed the corporal, authori- reported. Investigators
ties said Thursday. were examining the vehi-
Authorities said they iden- cle, police said.
tified but won’t yet name Richardson said his depart-
the man who killed Singh ment of 12 is grieving Singh,
of the 12-person Newman and other agencies are
Police Department on lending a hand.
Wednesday and has not “He was living the Ameri-
been captured. They be- can dream,” said Stanislaus
lieve the attacker is still in County sheriff’s Deputy
the area some 100 miles Royjinder Singh, who is not
(160 kilometers) southeast related to the slain officer
of San Francisco and is but knew him. “He loved
armed and dangerous. camping, loved hunting,
“This suspect is in our coun- loved fishing, loved his fam-
try illegally. He doesn’t be- ily.”
long here. He is a criminal,” Ronil Singh was never in a
Stanislaus County Sheriff bad mood and always had
Adam Christianson, whose a smile on his face, Rich-
agency is leading the in- ardson said.
vestigation, told reporters. This undated photo provided by the Newman Police Department shows officer Ronil Singh of On his Facebook page,
Newman Police Chief Newman Police Department who was killed by an unidentified suspect. Singh posted pictures on
Randy Richardson fought Associated Press Christmas Eve from a deep-
back tears as he described hired by the Newman force Singh’s killing Thursday, say- Singh pulled over the at- sea fishing trip that pro-
Singh, a 33-year-old with a in 2011. ing it’s “time to get tough tacker as part of a drunken duced a big haul of crabs
newborn son, as an “Ameri- English was Singh’s third on Border Security.” He driving investigation and and fish. His profile picture
can patriot.” language and he had ended the post with: “Build fired back to try to defend shows him smiling as he
“He came to America with a thick accent but took the Wall!” himself, Christianson said. stands at a patrol car with
one purpose, and that was speech classes to improve Authorities were looking for He was shot a few minutes his police dog — the same
to serve this country,” Rich- his communication, the po- a man seen in surveillance after radioing that he was photograph of the officer
ardson said. lice chief said. photos at a convenience pulling over a gray pickup released by the Sheriff’s
Singh drove more than His death comes amid a store shortly before Singh truck that had no license Department.
two hours each way to at- political fight over immigra- was killed. Officials plead- plate in Newman, a town Singh is survived by his
tend the police academy tion, with President Donald ed for help from the public of about 10,000 people, of- wife, Anamika, and their
in Yuba City, Richardson Trump and Congress at an and said they were follow- ficials said. Singh died at a 5-month-old son.
said. He joined the Merced impasse over funding for a ing up on several leads. hospital. “Please help us find this
County sheriff’s office as a border wall that has forced “The sheriff’s office will A ground and air search coward,” Richardson said
reserve officer and worked a partial government shut- spare no expense in hunt- began for the heavyset of Singh’s killer. “We need
as an animal control offi- down. ing down this criminal,” man pictured at the store closure, his family needs
cer in Turlock before being Trump tweeted about Christianson said. with short, dark hair and closure.”q