Posted on 07/15/2005 3:59:55 PM PDT by radar101
ANGELES -- Dozens of protesters wave signs branding police as "baby killers." They heckle passing police cars as lines of baton-toting officers keep close watch on the restless crowd.
A police shootout this week that took the life of a toddler whose father held her as a shield has brought irate residents back to the streets of Watts, where 40 summers ago a deadly riot came to symbolize America's urban despair.
"We've got some trigger-happy policemen that don't belong on that force," Joeanne Gibson, 47, said at a growing makeshift memorial for the young victim, Suzie Pena. "I don't think they intended to shoot the baby, yet it could've been done another way."
The child was killed by a SWAT team bullet on July 10 in the arms of her father, Jose Pena, 34, as he fired dozens of rounds at officers, wounding one of them. The father, who police said was drunk and high, also was killed in the shootout outside his used-car business.
Suzie Pena will be buried Saturday after a funeral Mass at a local church.
The episode has left officers who took part in the gunbattle traumatized and prompted police leaders to use extreme caution in dealing with protesters.
"Emotions are heightened, particularly in communities like this that are disadvantaged and disenfranchised," Deputy Police Chief Earl Paysinger said. "We have to be very thoughtful when we provide policing in these communities."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
More from John & Ken: The Los Angeles Police Department on Thursday released still images lifted from security videotapes showing that Jose Raul Peña was gripping his 19-month-old daughter with one arm and shooting with the other during a 2 1/2 -hour police standoff Sunday.
The department also revealed further details of the bloody shootout in Watts, which resulted in the deaths of Peña and his young daughter, Suzie Marie, and the wounding of LAPD Officer Daniel Sanchez. The 35-year-old car dealer used a stolen gun during the incident, and had a plastic bag of cocaine with him, police said.
But breaking from past practice, police declined to release the names of the officers who fired their weapons. Suzie was killed by a bullet to the head from a police rifle, authorities said this week, but the LAPD has not determined who the shooter was.
Road apples. How about blaming the lunatic holding his baby hostage?
The men and women on LAPD are just doing their job.
So were the guards at Dachau.
I totally agree with you that they were indeed doing thier job, and were justifiable in thier actions. What makes this difficult for people to swallow is the L.A. police departments HORRIBLE past track record.
What makes you say that? On another thread they said it had been 40 years since a hostage was shot.
What horrible track record have they had?
No way the LAPD wanted to kill that baby, this was not a Waco KKKlintoon Assasination operation. This was brave officers of the law trying to deal with a drugged crazy man.
The SWAT sniper missed his shot. Tragic, but NOT HIS FAULT. He was not the one waving the baby around and around the line of fire.
I blame the perp.
The guards at Dachau weren't being shot at.
I posted this as breaking, and it was deleted, and it said to post it on another, existing thread.
It led their news at 3:30 pm PST, 3:45 PM PST and again, at the top of the hour a short time ago at 4:00 PM PST.
In many news outlets, this would not even be mentioned, and would be omitted or edited from the news entirely.
Seems someone was not interested in "breaking news" from the largest radio news station on the west coast.
I asked why this was not considered breaking, since it was breaking, and no one said why.
Comparing the guards at Dachau with the LAPD (under fire) is like comparing Gitmo to the Gulags.
They did the best they could, under the circumstances. Unfortunately, it did not turn out well, as sometimes happens in these types of situations.
The creep was an illegal alien, breaking on KFI news, with a rap sheet as long as your arm going back to 1995. He was never deported!
If they really believed that, they would have been afraid of being shot.
Next time there is a dangerous situation and a drunken drugged idiot is shooting at police they'll hold a community action meeting to ask what to do or get volunteers to disarm the perp.
I can't resist the obvious comparison to pro-life protestors at an abortion clinic.
First question...why the conficting accounts?
One story said he was found in his office with his daughter , dead..
This one says he was shot outside?
While I sympathise with the need to end the stand off...I've noticed a trend as of late for law enforcement to shoot while a hostage is still in the line of fire...
After almost three hours....the only shot fired by law enforcement should have been one snipers bullet to the head of the perp...by someone capable of making the shot..
Clearly....those two things didnt happen...
It may have been the right call during a firefight...but it sure wont go over well with parents of most stripes...or radicals of the yellow stripe...
When a kids life is in the balance...cops should hold their fire until a confirmed kill shot can be made...
This brings back memories of "unintended" head shot to vicky weaver....regardless that this perp was a scum...his daughter wasnt...
Just my humble opinion.
Saw you bayou's thread about this. Have you found a link at all mentioning the illegal part? If you come across it please share. I'd be obliged.
So I heard.
The Rampart scandal. Framing or killing innocents, planting evidence (e.g. drugs, drop guns) on people they had killed, lying on the stand... that sort of thing. Yes, maybe they haven't killed a hostage in 40 years but that isn't such a good way to measure the track record of a police department.
I'm no LE apologist, but Vicky Weaver wasn't shooting at the FBI. This guy was shooting at the cops.
Previous news accounts indicate the police were in the process of evacuating a neighbor and try to rescue the shot officer when they cam under fire. Shooting back was the only option at that point.
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