The California Justice Department announced today that it has found no cause to file chargesagainst a Los Angeles police officer who, while aiming at a suspect, shot and killed a 14-year-old girl hiding in a department store fitting room.

Fourteen-year-old Valentina Orellana Peralta was picking out a quinceanera dress with her mother just before Christmas in 2021. She was shot and killed by a bullet that ricocheted off the floor.

  • Kalkaline @leminal.space
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    1 year ago

    Once again American gun culture claims another victim. I don’t blame this one so much on the cop as I do prevalent availability of guns in the hands of violent individuals. There was an active shooter, the cop shot the active shooter and accidentally hit the girl. If it was a “good guy with a gun” the outcome probably wouldn’t have been different. The only way it does come out differently is if you take the guns out of the equation.

    • Garbanzo@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      There was an active shooter

      No, there wasn’t. Dude was hitting people with a bike lock. The only way it comes out differently is if you hold the police accountable for their horrible judgement, but clearly we’re not going to do that.

      • trafficnab@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        There were two separate 911 calls reporting an active shooter from people hiding in the store (apparently both mistook the smashing of glass as the sound of a gunshot), the officers that responded treated it as an active shooter situation because that’s what they were told it was

        • Showing up ready for a shooter because that’s what was reported is prudent. Being cautious as though a shooter may appear soon because that’s what was reported is prudent. Shooting to kill someone not armed with a gun while other parties are present and while your cohort has nonlethal weapons on hand and ready to use instead isn’t prudent any more