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U.S. NEWS Thursday 26 sepTember 2019
Off-duty officer won’t be charged in deadly Costco shooting

By STEFANIE DAZIO
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An
off-duty Los Angeles police
officer will not be charged
for fatally shooting a men-
tally ill man who had at-
tacked him and his young
son from behind in a Cali-
fornia Costco, prosecutors
said Wednesday.
In announcing a grand
jury’s findings, Riverside
County District Attorney
Mike Hestrin said Officer
Salvador Sanchez believed
he had been shot in the
head and a shooter was
on the loose when he and
his son were knocked to
the ground in the unpro-
voked assault. This June 14, 2019 file photo shows heavily armed police officers leaving the Corona, Calif., Costco store following a fatal shooting
Hestrin said his office would inside.
not bring its own charges Associated Press
against Sanchez in the rona warehouse store ability when shots rang out. which may have affected — against Sanchez and the
wake of the grand jury de- spanned just 3.8 seconds. French, of Riverside, had his behavior that night, Los Angeles Police Depart-
cision. Investigators relied on a been taken off his medi- Galipo has said. ment. Galipo said he plans
Sanchez, a seven-year vet- single, poor-quality surveil- cation because of other The family has filed a claim to file a federal lawsuit with-
eran of the LAPD, opened lance video and witness health complications, — a precursor to a lawsuit in the next month.q
fire June 14, killing 32-year- testimony — some of which
old Kenneth French and had to be compelled
critically injuring his parents, through subpoenas.
Russell and Paola French. Sanchez, holding his
“In a case like this, it’s ap- 1½-year-old son, was
propriate for the commu- standing in line for food
nity to weigh in,” Hestrin samples with his wife when
said at a news conference French, without warning or
about the grand jury de- provocation, knocked San-
liberations. “This case has chez and the child to the
weighed heavily on us.” ground.
Dale Galipo, an attorney Seconds later, prosecutors
for the French family, said said,
he was “disappointed but Sanchez fired 10 rounds
not surprised” by the de- from his handgun, believ-
velopment. He said he be- ing his life and his son’s life
lieves prosecutors only took were in immediate danger
the case to a grand jury to from an active shooter.
appease the community Four bullets struck French
and may not have pushed in the back and shoulder,
hard enough to persuade one struck his mother in the
the jurors. stomach and another hit
Ira Salzman, Sanchez’s his father in the back, Co-
lawyer, said his client was rona police Chief George
“gratified” to hear he Johnstone said.
won’t be charged. Salz- The gunfire prompted cha-
man said Sanchez did not os inside the warehouse as
testify before the grand jury terrified shoppers rushed to
but had given evidence to leave while police officers
the district attorney’s office — who also believed there
regarding his state of mind was an active shooter —
and subsequent medical ran inside.
records showing a concus- Witnesses reported seeing
sion. Sanchez reach to the back
“Sal believed he was shot,” of his head multiple times
Salzman said. “The case to look for blood, Hestrin
was a terrible tragedy.” said, noting that Sanchez’s
The officer remains on paid claim of being knocked
administrative leave as the unconscious was not sup-
LAPD conducts an inquiry ported by any evidence.
into whether Sanchez fol- Galipo has said Russell and
lowed department poli- Paola French were trying to
cies. explain to the officer that
The encounter in the Co- his son had a mental dis-