Off-Duty LAPD Officer Fatally Shot Man, 2 Family Members After Being Attacked While Shopping at Corona Costco
By Kristina Bravo Lauren Lyster, Nerissa Knight and Brian Day
KTLA 5
June 15, 2019
An off-duty Los Angeles Police Department Officer fatally shot one man and wounded two others Friday after he was "assaulted" while shopping with his family at a Corona Costco store, officials said Saturday.
Initial reports that the incident was due to an active shooter and that there may have been more than one gun involved in the shooting proved unfounded, the Corona Police Department said in a written statement issued Saturday evening.
Kenneth French, 32, of Riverside died at the scene of the shooting, Corona police said. Two of French's family members were critically wounded. Their ages, genders and relationships to the dead man were not released Saturday.
The incident unfolded about 7:45 p.m. at the Costco, 480 N. McKinely Street as the off-duty officer, described as a patrol officer assigned to the LAPD's Southwest Division, was shopping with his family, officials said.
"Without provocation, a male unknown to the officer’s family assaulted the officer while the officer was holding his young child," according to the Corona police statement. "This attack resulted in the officer firing his weapon, striking the male and two of the male's family members."
The two wounded family members were hospitalized in critical condition Saturday, officials said.
The involved officer, whose name was withheld, was treated for minor injuries at a hospital and released a short time later. It was unclear what type of injuries he suffered or how he was assaulted. Police made no mention of any weapons used by the alleged attacker.
The statement released by Corona police did not accuse the two wounded family members who accompanied the suspect of any wrongdoing.
Officials said the officer's child was not hurt.
"The officer's gun was the only weapon involved in the incident, contrary to earlier reports," the Corona police statement said. "As is standard procedure in such investigations, the Corona Police Department is working closely with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office who will be evaluating the facts and circumstances of this incident."
Everyone involved in the shooting was believed to have been accounted for, police said. No arrests had been made Saturday, though the officer was initially detained as a possible suspect early in the investigation.
Los Angeles police officials joined Corona police investigators at the scene.
"The Department has initiated an Administrative Investigation and is working with the Corona Police Department to learn more about the incident," the LAPD said in written statement.
The agency provided no further details about the officer's role in the shooting, deferring comment to Corona police.
Corona police arrived at the scene just over a minute after receiving reports of gunfire, the department said.
Officers found four people injured on the floor, the Corona Police Department said. French died at the scene, while the remaining three — including the off-duty officer — were taken to hospitals, the agency said.
In a 9:09 p.m. tweet on Friday, the agency announced that the incident had been stabilized and that there was "no apparent threat to our community from any outstanding persons."
The shots triggered panic in the wholesale retail store, with some shoppers trying to escape through emergency doors that wouldn't open, according to witnesses.
"It's not very fun when you're scared and you're running for your life, and you're trying to open a door that says 'emergency' and they don't open," Rochelle Flores said. "Everybody was freaking out. People were falling over each other."
Customers ended up exiting through the front entrance, Naveed Navi said.
Cellphone footage from inside the store captured frightened customers, with audible screaming and alarms. Nikki Tate, the shopper who recorded the video, said she heard six or seven shots.
Another video from the scene showed paramedics wheeling one person on a gurney into an ambulance.
Officials collected cell phones, backpacks and other personal items left behind by shoppers who fled the store amid the gunfire, Corona police said. Those items were stored for safekeeping and are available for pickup by contacting the department.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Reports say the two critically wounded family members were French’s mother and father.
1 comment:
Reports on this are still very thin. The dead guy is quite big, and according to his family was "harmless" but had some issues. He apparently-allegedly attacked the cop while the cop was holding his child.
Let me tell you a story that may be semi-on target with this. My lady friend and her nurse were attending a concert at an amphitheater north of here. My lady friend was in her power wheel chair. While they were in line to get in a very large somewhat intoxicated man rushed up to her and tried to pull her out of her power chair. She found out after the fact that he was also a couple of french fries short of a happy meal. Really good combination, mental defect and excess alcohol. His friends and family were with him and they were somewhat sloshed also and the concert had not yet begun. My lady friend still has some use of her legs, she can stand and do a pivot turn but can not walk. She has a T-10 fracture. This person attempting to pull her out of her chair could easily have damaged her back so badly she would lose all use of her legs. She screamed, and then started to pull her legally carried .357 snubbie, intending to shove it into the man's gut and pull the trigger two or three times. At that moment the morons family and friends pulled him off, apologized, and went on their way, completely clueless. That would have, IMHO, been a completely appropriate use of deadly force. It is POSSIBLE that he was merely being friendly, or stupid, or whatever. The end result would have been the same. Trying to ensure appropriate behavior in public by large, strong family members of "have some issues" is not necessarily easy, but must be done.
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