Suspected Gang Member Shot and Killed

Los Angeles: An alleged gang member who pointed a gun at Los Angeles police officers was fatally shot on May 20, 2008.

At about 7:40 p.m., a gang unit was dispatched to a shots fired call near 5th Street and Concord Street, in East Los Angeles.  A citizen directed officers to the location where the armed suspect stood. Officers saw the suspect identified as Frank Alejo, 28, walking on 6th Street towards Grande Vista Avenue.  Officer Roy Reza and his partner exited their police vehicle and ordered Alejo to stop.  He refused and ran.  After a short foot chase, Alejo stopped in the front yard of a nearby resident, pointed a handgun at a group of officers and was shot.

Paramedics pronounced Alejo dead at the scene and a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun was recovered.

Officer Reza has been with the department for 12 years and 5 months, Officer Jaime Anchondo for 19 years and 6 months, and Officer Monica Tokoro for 1 year and 5 months.

Force Investigation Division will handle the incident.

Comments

[A]

Again, why can't they just put the headline that cops killed someone...they word it all protectively...gang member shot...that's not really how they word the other incidents were gang members were shot... if he pointed a gun at you, you shot back and are justified...no need to spin the story. you did what needed to be done.

[KEL]

A,

what spin? I agree with you that the officer's did what needed to be done but what spin are you writting about?

[smart 1]

A & KEL,
How's this: Admitted gang member shot and killed. Is that better?

[sad]

arent the officers trained to shot the suspect in the leg or arm? there was no need to kill him.

[P-2]

Sad,

What fantasy land are you living in? He pointed a gun at someone! What part of that don't you understand? And no we are not trained to hit something as narrow as a leg so we don't hit liberals like you when the jerk that aimed the gun at us in the first place moves that VERY NARROW TARGET!

The center of mass, i.e. the suspect's torso, is what is aimed at so we are least likely to miss and hit an innocent person. Under stress even the best shooter's abilities diminish as well as no one just stands there and asks to be shot. We shoot in the chest for public safety. Do you get it now?

[b&wop;]

Dear Sad :-(

No, NOT ONE SINGLE police officer in the whole United States is trained to shoot suspects in the legs or arms.

Officers will shoot to stop a suspect's life-threatening actions by shooting at the biggest target: the torso.

Suspects dictate whether they will be shot or not, not the officers. I think it's time you stop watching all the garbage on TV and in films. Only in a make-believe world are officers such good shots that they shoot suspects in the arms and legs and actually hit them.

[lapd pII]

Sad-

No we are not trained to shoot somebody in the leg or arm. If somebody points a gun at me and I shoot them in the leg or the arm, it is still likely that they can get a shot off and kill me. Would you like to try those odds? I'm going home to my family at the end of my shift. What's sad is this person didn't follow the commands given to him; if he had he would be alive today.

[sad]

You are right, if he would have listened he would still be alive. I think he did it on purpose to have an easy way out of not living the rest of his life in prison. I hate him for that.