The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in Torrance filed one count of filing a false police report against a man who claimed to have been shot and left for dead by on-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies, says Lieutenant Richard Westin of the Sheriff’s Department Operation Safe Streets Bureau (gang investigators).
19-year old Suspect Manuel Muroz, a self-admitted gang member was arrested for a traffic warrant by LAPD Harbor Division officers on Saturday night and alleged that Sheriff’s “gang cops” shot him in a “drive-by” from a marked black and white patrol car, on November 6th, 2011. The LAPD officers correctly and immediately notified the Internal Affairs Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department of the allegation so that it could be investigated.
Sheriff’s Lieutenant Richard Westin conducted an inquiry into the criminal allegations made by Muroz. He met with Muroz and was shown two partially healed gunshot wounds on the body of Muroz.
Muroz repeated his allegation against deputies, and returned with Lieutenant Westin to the scene in Lawndale where he said the shooting took place.
Through the investigation, it was soon verified that Muroz was in fact shot at the scene on November 6, 2011, but not by deputies.
A review of an existing police report documented on the date of the shooting revealed that multiple witnesses had reported that Muroz and another man were walking on Firmona Avenue at 172nd Street when the occupants of a black Honda with chrome rims stopped and briefly talked to Muroz.
Then for reasons unknown, someone inside the car opened fire, striking Muroz twice before fleeing the area. The shooting was immediately reported by multiple witnesses who called 9-1-1 and offered consistent descriptions of the incident. None of the witnesses reported seeing a sheriff’s radio car at the time of the shooting. The shooting remains unsolved.
A review of the original crime report revealed that Muroz himself claimed to have been shot by persons in a black vehicle, possibly a Honda. He never claimed to have been shot by deputies.
Muroz maintained his allegation of being shot by on-duty sheriff’s deputies when confronted with these facts.
Lieutenant Westin presented the facts of the investigation to the Torrance Court, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, who filed one misdemeanor count of filing a false police report against Muroz.
Muroz is scheduled to appear in Torrance Court on Thursday, March 1st, 2012 at 8:30AM. His motive for maintaining the false allegation remains unknown.
Anyone with information about the shooting, please contact Sheriff’s Operation Safe Streets – South Los Angeles Station (323) 820-6700. Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff’s station. Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org
Captain Mike Parker
Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau - Newsroom
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
(323) 267-4800
http://www.lasd.org
[email protected]
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Sheriff Leroy D. Baca
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
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