On July 30, 2015, LAPD hosted the West Coast premiere of In the Line of Fire, a new documentary film from Investigation Discovery, one of the leading mystery and suspense networks with programming in over 86 million households nationwide. The festive event, held at the Department’s Ronald F. Deaton Civic Auditorium, also included a panel discussion after the screening.
Many luminaries attended the gala, including New York Police Commissioner (and former LAPD chief) Bill Bratton; Fox 11 News Anchor Laura Diaz, who also moderated the post-screening panel discussion; Investigation Discovery General Manager Kevin Bennett; Investigation Discovery Senior Vice President of Production Sara Kozak, various community members and several others.
In the Line of Fire, produced and presented by legal analyst and former trial attorney Rikki Klieman, features emotional stories of survival showing officers making heat-of-the-moment decisions. The film underscores the daily perils officers must face as they risk their lives to protect others, a critical aspect of policing often overlooked in view of daily headlines and news stories emphasizing only the potentially negative results of law enforcement.
One of the stories featured in the documentary is an account from the morning of November 9, 2004, at the Los Angeles Mexican Consulate where 19-year-old Manuel Ortiz took a pregnant consulate employee hostage at gunpoint. At that moment, Sgt. Hector Feliciano, a 22-year veteran of the LAPD, was in the right place at the right time to witness the ensuing panic and act quickly as the first responder. Taking cover in a nearby security booth that provided access to surveillance footage from multiple security cameras on the property, Sgt. Feliciano watched as Ortiz forced the hostage toward the exit with a gun pressed to her back. Sgt. Feliciano then made a bold decision to leave the security booth and put himself in the line of fire. As he followed them toward a large crowd of onlookers, he repeatedly demanded the gunman drop his weapon. Finally, as the gunman became distracted by the crowd, Sgt. Feliciano saw his chance and fired a single shot, hitting Ortiz and releasing the fearful hostage. He would later receive the Medal of Valor, LAPD’s highest honor.
The entire event, including the panel discussion, proved to be both enlightening and inspiring for everyone.
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