A Case Of Mistaken Truck Identity Caused L.A. Cops To Shoot Two Innocent Women
Two women out delivering newspapers in Torrance, Calif. earlier today were shot by members of the Los Angeles Police Department after the officers apparently mistook their pickup truck for that of a murder suspect, according to KABC-TV Los Angeles.
As with most officer-involved shootings, details are few and far between at the moment. But first, a little back story: Officers have been engaged in a massive manhunt for Christoper Jordan Dorner, a former LAPD officer who has apparently sworn "unconventional and asymmetrical warfare" against police in an online manifesto. Police believe Dorner shot three officers in Riverside County earlier this morning, one of whom died, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Police also suspect Dorner of killing a woman (who happens to be the the Cal State Fullerton assistant basketball coach) and her fiancee on Sunday. That woman is the daughter of a retired LAPD captain who was involved in Dorner's firing.
And now we come around to the truck-related shooting. Police have been on the lookout for Dorner's truck, a blue 2005 Nissan Titan, and are urging drivers to call 911 if they see it.
But around 5:15 a.m. local time, officers mistook the blue Toyota Tacoma driven by two women delivering newspapers for Dorner's truck and fired on it, the TV station reported. The truck pulled up to a house being guarded by police because that homeowner is on Dorner's hit list.
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck told local news outlets that one woman had a minor bullet injury, while the other was shot twice but is now in stable condition.
KABC also reported that officers fired on yet another truck in a similar mistaken identity incident, but no one was injured there.
Obviously, officers are skittish because they're being targeted and have lost one of their own, and Dorner is clearly a dangerous man, but the cops screwed up here big time. Let's hope Dorner gets caught before anyone else gets hurt.
Photo credit AP
Hat tip to Catmaigne