At a Glance
- Case Type
- Other
- Jurisdiction
- Los Angeles County, California
- Date
- 2017-06-22
- Status
- Pending
Two Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies responding to a noise complaint in Palmdale, California, early on the morning of June 22, 2017, fatally shot a 17-year-old bystander while attempting to neutralize an attacking pit bull, according to the Washington Post [1]. The shooting occurred at approximately 3:45 a.m. after deputies responded to a report of loud music. As the deputies walked up the driveway, a 60- to 65-pound pit bull aggressively charged at them and attacked one of them, biting the deputy on the knee. A 17-year-old male came out to restrain the dog and took it to the rear of the complex, but as additional units and medical aid were called to the scene, the dog ran out again.
The pit bull then came running from the back of the residence, prompting a pair of deputies to open fire on it from up to seven feet away. Six to eight shots were fired, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Capt. Christopher Bergner said at a news conference. Detectives believe that when the juvenile came out from behind the building, approximately 40 feet away from where the shooting occurred, he may have been struck by one of the skip rounds. Bergner stated that the rounds "hit the apron of the driveway, traveled 30 to 40 feet back, and potentially hit this individual who was coming around the corner." One deputy was also hospitalized with a bite wound to the left knee and a stray bullet wound to his right knee.
Armando Garcia-Muro, an incoming high school senior, died after being shot in the chest, authorities and relatives said. Relatives said he did not own the dog but was trying to remove it from the scene. The family disputed the official account of the incident, according to the Washington Post [1]. The teenager's aunt, Amber Alcantar, told CBS Los Angeles, "My nephew was trying to save the dog because the cops started shooting at the dog." Garcia-Muro's mother, Roberta Alcantar, offered a pointed response to authorities. "Mando is a good kid," she said. "He did not deserve to die the way he died. I'm going to get to the bottom of it and it's going to get handled."
Because the incident constituted a fatal deputy-involved shooting, separate investigations were to be conducted by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau, and the Internal Affairs Bureau. The Office of the Inspector General was expected to provide independent oversight, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office was also involved. Nicole Nishida, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's department, noted that department policy permits the use of firearms against animals when personnel "reasonably believe that death or serious physical injury is about to be inflicted upon themselves or others." Deputies had responded to the location at least four times for loud music and gang activity in the two months preceding the incident.
The shooting raises immediate questions about use-of-force protocols in close-quarters animal encounters, particularly when civilians are present on scene. No charges had been announced as of the initial reporting, and the parallel investigations by multiple county bodies signal that both the legality of the deputies' conduct and the circumstances of Garcia-Muro's death remain under formal scrutiny [1][2][3].
References
[1] The Washington Post. (2017, June 23). L.A. county police shoot at attacking pit bull, instead kill teen, authorities say. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/06/23/l-a-cops-shoot-at-attacking-pit-bull-and-instead-kill-teen-authorities-say/
[2] Time. (2017, June 23). Los Angeles Sheriff's Deputies Shoot at Pit Bull, Kill Teen. https://time.com/4830287/los-angeles-teen-pit-bull-shooting-deputies/
[3] ABC News. (2017, June 23). Teen killed by bullet when LA County deputies fired at pit bull: Sheriff's office. https://abcnews.go.com/US/teen-killed-bullet-la-county-sheriffs-deputies-fired/story?id=48216488