A murder charge was filed against a former Long Beach school safety officer who shot an unarmed 18-year-old in the head near a high school last month, prosecutors said. The charge came exactly one month after the shooting.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said the school district ‘absolutely made the right call’ in firing the officer who shot Mona Rodriguez.“This case really illustrates the importance of holding public officials accountable,” he said. “Especially public officials that are entrusted with the safety of our family and our kids.”
Gascón said Gonzalez was arrested Wednesday in Orange and charged with one count of murder. The Long Beach Board of Education voted unanimously this month to fire Gonzalez for violating its use-of-force policy. Lacey’s 2020 reelection bid was strongly supported by law enforcement unions, leading some to question whether her office was truly independent enough to hold police accountable. She didin a case somewhat similar to Mona Rodriguez’s slaying, but that marked only the second time the office chose to prosecute an officer in an on-duty shooting since 2000.
L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón and Long Beach Police Chief Robert G. Luna announce the charges Wednesday.who said it violated established police policies that warn against shooting at moving vehicles if they don’t pose an imminent threat to life and safety. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia had previously called for charges against Gonzalez.
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Cmdr. Charles “Sid” Heal, a use-of-force expert, said he wasn’t surprised that Gonzalez was criminally charged but added that murder — which implies premeditation — may be an overreach.Dmitry Gorin, a former prosecutor and defense attorney, said he would have argued for a charge of “implied malice” murder because Gonzalez’s conduct was “so reckless it amounts to indifference to human life.
“This really impacted our community heavily,” Luna said. “This is just a step in trying to bring some closure to this very unfortunate and impactful incident, not only to our city but the Rodriguez family.”The Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education has unanimously voted to fire the safety officer who opened fire last month on a moving car filled with young people, killing a female passenger.
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