COP'S WIDOW PRAPRES TO SUE D.A. AND PROBATION DEPARTMENT

By Bob Walsh

 

Janine Paredes’ 42-year-old husband Officer Michael Paredes was shot dead during a firefight at a motel in June.

 

Janine Paredes is the widow of El Monte (CA) police officer  Michael Paredes.  He was murdered in the line of duty.  Janine Paredes has just filed a claim for $25 million against the D. A. and the Probation Department over the death.  The filing of the claim is a necessary procedural step.  Assuming the claim is denied, which it almost always is, the claimant can then proceed to a lawsuit.

The suit asserts that Justin Flores, who shot and killed Officer Paredes, "should have been in custody at the time of the murders but for the deliberate indifference" of George Gascon and the Probation Department.  

 

 

Justin Flores killed both Officer Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana with shots to the head.

 

Flores was a documented gang member with a long history of criminal convictions and was on probation when he encountered Officer Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana at the Siesta Inn Motel in June of this year.  The officers responded to the call of a domestic disturbance when Flores emerged from the bathroom, shot both officers in the head and then ran into the parking lot where he was turned into a grease spot by responding officers. 

 

 

DA George Gascón’s far-left criminal justice reform policies are being partially blamed for Paredes’ death. 

George Gascon has regularly refused to file for sentence enhancements against gang defendants in violation of state law.  Gascon's policy has been termed illegal by the L. A. Superior Court and has resulted in legal complaints by his own deputies against his office.  In addition the Probation Department had received at least one contact about Flores' repeated instances of violent behavior in the weeks prior to the two officer's murders.

Generally speaking suing the D. A. for discretionary decisions and the Probation Department (which is an arm of the court system) for being incompetent is a losing proposition.  However, seeing as the courts have ruled that Gascon's actions were in fact illegal and there is evidence that Probation KNEW Flores was being a bad boy it is barely possible this claim / lawsuit will get some traction.