LA compensates 2 for truck mistakenly shot during Dorner manhunt
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The city has agreed to give $40,000 to two women whose pickup was shot up by a Police Department protection detail that mistook their newspaper delivery vehicle for the truck driven by rogue ex-cop Christopher Dorner during his rampage, officials announced Thursday.
The tax-free settlement covering the pickup and other property came quickly after the women's attorney, Glen Jonas, rejected Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck's offer of a replacement truck because the women would have had to pay taxes. The deal specified no admission of liability.
Margie Carranza and her 71-year-old mother, Emma Hernandez, were delivering papers around 5 a.m. Feb. 7 when LAPD officers guarding the suburban Torrance home of a Dorner target blasted at least 100 rounds into their Toyota pickup. Hernandez was shot in the back and Carranza had minor injuries.
Jonas said the women were still not doing well.
"Margie's still very emotionally impacted and Emma is suffering from her injuries," Jonas said.
Jonas, who noted he has waived all his fees, said he hoped that all other issues including personal injury can be resolved without the need to file a lawsuit or have a trial.
City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said the truck compensation was one of the fastest resolutions of a case he can remember in his term.
The women were expected to receive the money in two to four days.
The errant shooting in Torrance occurred just hours after Dorner shot and wounded a Los Angeles police officer in Riverside County and then ambushed two police officers in the city of Riverside, killing one and wounding the other.
Dorner was on the run in a Nissan Titan pickup after being named as the suspect in the murders of a retired LAPD captain's daughter and her fiance. The former captain had represented Dorner at an LAPD disciplinary hearing that led to his firing. The double-murder investigation led to discovery of a manifesto posted online by Dorner that vowed to wage war on Los Angeles police.
Dorner hid out in the San Bernardino Mountains until Feb. 12, when he tried to flee but law enforcement converged on him. Dorner killed one sheriff's deputy and wounded another in a gunbattle that ended with fire consuming the cabin he holed up in. Authorities believe he killed himself with a gunshot to the head.
The attack on the women's pickup truck wasn't the only mistaken police shooting that morning in Torrance. Moments later, nearby local police opened fire on a pickup truck driven by a surfer heading to the beach.
The tax-free settlement covering the pickup and other property came quickly after the women's attorney, Glen Jonas, rejected Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck's offer of a replacement truck because the women would have had to pay taxes. The deal specified no admission of liability.
Margie Carranza and her 71-year-old mother, Emma Hernandez, were delivering papers around 5 a.m. Feb. 7 when LAPD officers guarding the suburban Torrance home of a Dorner target blasted at least 100 rounds into their Toyota pickup. Hernandez was shot in the back and Carranza had minor injuries.
Jonas said the women were still not doing well.
"Margie's still very emotionally impacted and Emma is suffering from her injuries," Jonas said.
Jonas, who noted he has waived all his fees, said he hoped that all other issues including personal injury can be resolved without the need to file a lawsuit or have a trial.
City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said the truck compensation was one of the fastest resolutions of a case he can remember in his term.
The women were expected to receive the money in two to four days.
The errant shooting in Torrance occurred just hours after Dorner shot and wounded a Los Angeles police officer in Riverside County and then ambushed two police officers in the city of Riverside, killing one and wounding the other.
Dorner was on the run in a Nissan Titan pickup after being named as the suspect in the murders of a retired LAPD captain's daughter and her fiance. The former captain had represented Dorner at an LAPD disciplinary hearing that led to his firing. The double-murder investigation led to discovery of a manifesto posted online by Dorner that vowed to wage war on Los Angeles police.
Dorner hid out in the San Bernardino Mountains until Feb. 12, when he tried to flee but law enforcement converged on him. Dorner killed one sheriff's deputy and wounded another in a gunbattle that ended with fire consuming the cabin he holed up in. Authorities believe he killed himself with a gunshot to the head.
The attack on the women's pickup truck wasn't the only mistaken police shooting that morning in Torrance. Moments later, nearby local police opened fire on a pickup truck driven by a surfer heading to the beach.
I wonder if the cops should drop the full auto and semi auto weapons and go back to revolvers to "slow down their mistakes". I remember when they switched in the 80's and the PPD fired 33 shots in seconds and never hit the mentally ill suspect.
This is a million miles of bad karma for the cops, LA PD, city, etc. To gun down the wrong people and then use public money to cover your mistakes is unconscionable.
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@Dr. Rawdog And it should -- I hope they get a HUGE settlement of some kind and won't ever have to deliver newspapers again.  I hate to be a cynic (no I don't!), but this entire event has "what's wrong with this picture?" written all over it....either dirty cops or good cops trying to cover up for dirty cops.  Doesn't pass the smell test.
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@Dr. Rawdog Big smile -- you're too clever!
LAPD is not sue-proof. I hope they sue the crap out of them.
Looking for a Nissan Titan so they shoot a Toyota Tacoma? Dipsh!ts!
This story was hushed-up from the very beginning -- only a little blurb here and there. Â Looking at that truck and the obvious overreaction on the part of LE arouses that little thought that has come up often: Â The police sure wanted him dead. Â I sincerely hope a thorough, unbiased investigation is conducted regarding the allegations he made in his manifesto...if only 50% of them are factual, that's a lot of dirt he let out.Â
Oh, and isn't the logic "if he's willing to kill a cop, he'll kill anyone" --? Except that Dorner did the exact opposite of that, and only targeted cops and their families. All the civilians, he let go. So where's the logic in blowing up every truck that looked like his? I really hope the LAPD pays for this big time. And anyone who's followed my posts knows that this is NOT my usual opinion of cops vs bad guys. This is seriously effed up.
@badcat They need to hype it up to get public backing.
@TreeWizard They have my attention. Attempted murder, in my opinion.
More evidence of the genius of police.
The only thought that comes to mind from this photograph is "pray and spray".
I was wondering when we'd hear more about this. Don't settle for the cost of the truck, ladies, even if you're here illegally. What the cops did was outrageous. It's insane how their hands are always tied when a civilian is a victim, but when they're after a "cop killer" it's a free-for-all and they can pump as many shells as possible into a vehicle with nothing other than a vague description. Make a point, and sue them for all you can.
@badcat They are illegals?
@TreeWizard @badcat ~  Illegal or not, this was unforgivable...  Deporting illegals is one thing... this is totally different.  LAPD needs to answer for this...Â
@margay1 @TreeWizard @badcat No, I didn't think that. I probably should have added a :), so you would have known it's all good.
@TreeWizard @margay1 @badcat ~  After I posted, I thought you might have been...  If you thought from my post that I was attacking / criticizing you, I apologize... such was not my intent... :-)
@margay1 @TreeWizard @badcat I was just asking for clarification .
@TreeWizard I have no idea, but they're hispanic and an illegal would be more likely to cave in to pressure from the LAPD, no?
@TreeWizard Just a possibility (and it will come up). Regardless, I don't want them to be intimidated for any reason. These sort of incidences should not be tolerated.
@badcat @TreeWizard no clue.
LA cops cost the tax payers a lot of money.
This settlement was only for the property. It does not cover the medical and punitive part of their situation.
@RalphCramden I was wondering why it was without admission of liability.  You're right.  Its for the second stage of the lawsuit (where, presumably, the lawyer will also be rewarded for his time).
Wow, the cops were really freaked out for them to cut loose on the wrong vehicle...twice.
Horrible grouping. Death penalty please.
It's the first time I've seen a picture of the truck -- I'm stunned that both women survived. Â What a horrible thing to happen to two very innocent victims.Â
@SundownerÂ
And that doesn't cover the bullet holes in all the homes and cars in the line of fire.
@Sundowner ~  Yeah, that's the first picture of it I've seen, too..!   How absolutely HORRIBLE for those 2 women... the stuff of nightmares, for sure..!  Â