Deputy Says He Shot 'Irrational' Marine to Protect Kids in Car

Camp Pendleton Patch ^ | February 10, 2012 | Roy Rivenburg

[brityank]

Deputy Says He Shot 'Irrational' Marine to Protect Kids in Car

15-year veteran of Sheriff's Department says Sgt. Manny Loggins was about to drive away, so he opened fire to prevent a perceived danger to Loggins' daughters. One other deputy was nearby at the time.

The deputy who shot and killed an unarmed Marine sergeant after a predawn traffic stop said the Marine was acting so "irrationally" that it seemed dangerous to let him drive away with his two daughters, an official said Friday.

So when the Marine -- later identified as Sgt. Manny Loggins Jr. of Camp Pendleton -- climbed back into his GMC Yukon and turned the ignition, the deputy opened fire, according to Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Amormino stressed that he was merely relaying statements made by the deputy to investigators and "not defending" what happened.

"This was a very tragic event, we all feel bad for the family," Amormino said.

The deputy, a 15-year veteran, told investigators he was parked at San Clemente High School writing reports when he spotted Loggins driving "at a high rate of speed" before turning into the lot and crashing into a gate near the football field.

The deputy pulled up behind Loggins and radioed for backup. It was about 4:40 a.m. Tuesday.

Loggins, 31, stepped out of the Yukon and walked off into the darkness toward the football field, ignoring a series of commands made by the deputy. His two daughters, ages 9 and 14, remained in the vehicle.

Other deputies soon arrived and formed a perimeter around the back end of the football field in case Loggins was trying to flee, Amormino said. Because it was dark, nobody could see where Loggins was.

"About five minutes later, Loggins walked back toward the Yukon," Amormino said.

The deputy issued "a new set of commands" which Loggins again didn't follow, Amormino said.

"Due to Loggins' failure to follow the commands and his irrational behavior, including statements he made, the deputy had a deep concern for the safety of the children," Amormino said. "In the deputy's mind, it was unsafe for [Loggins] to drive away with the girls."

Amormino said he couldn't disclose what the alleged "irrational" behaviors or statements entailed, but said Loggins didn't appear to be intoxicated.

When Loggins got back into the Yukon and either started the engine or began trying to drive away, the deputy opened fire, shooting Loggins through the driver side window, which shattered. (The girls were in the back seat and not injured.)

Amormino acknowledged that this version of events differs from an earlier account released by the Sheriff's Department, in which the deputy reportedly opened fire because he feared for his own life.

"The real threat was for the lives of the children," Amormino said Friday. In a case like this, "some information becomes immediately available and some takes longer to get because witnesses have to be interviewed," he noted.

Amormino said this account came from the deputy who fired the shots. Another deputy was nearby, but "I don't know what he saw," Amormino said.

Loggins' daughters were also interviewed by investigators, but Amormino said he didn't know what they said or if their story lined up with the deputy's.

"Whatever the truth is will come out," Amormino said, noting that "a complete and thorough investigation" would be conducted by the Orange County District Attorney's office, which investigates all officer-involved shootings.

Results of the autopsy on Loggins probably won't be made public for a few weeks, after toxicology tests are finished and the sheriff reviews the findings, he said.

Loggins' friends and colleagues have questioned official accounts of what happened, describing the Illinois native as a kind and faith-filled Christian family man who would never disobey authorities or jeopardize the safety of his daughters.

[Sarajevo]

When Loggins got back into the Yukon and either started the engine or began trying to drive away, the deputy opened fire, shooting Loggins through the driver side window, which shattered.

I guess that disabling the vehicle was out of the question.

[coloradan]

It is irrational to try to get away from a police officer who thinks leaving a traffic stop is a death penalty offense. Therefore, anyone who tries to get away from such a stop is automatically guilty and in need of summary execution. Q.E.D.

[Las Vegas Ron]

Amormino said he couldn't disclose what the alleged "irrational" behaviors or statements entailed, but said Loggins didn't appear to be intoxicated.

Lot's of wiggle room left there for later "facts" to dispute whatever may arise...

[Tramonto]

I wonder if there is history between the officer and the marine.

I wouldn't be surprised.

[sport]

By the time the daughter's "statemen" are made public, they will line up exactly word for word with the deputies statement.

What I do not know at this point in time how the cops can do no wrong crowd is going to justify this, other that he killed the man because he could, but I have confidence that they will.

[org.whodat]

little law dog, screwed the pooch, he is not judge and executioner.

[whodathunkit]

Ok, so how does this make sense...

the deputy opened fire, shooting Loggins through the driver side window, which shattered. (The girls were in the back seat and not injured.)

??????

Father shot to death in front of daughters, no harm to them? Sheeesh!

[Krankor]

I guess they couldn’t have retrieved the children from the car while the Sargent was off on foot. Or disabled the vehicle instead. They had time enough to deploy other LEO to block the other end of the football field

Hey, you oughta be a detective. Excellent point! The cop himself admits he knew there were kids in the car, and he had time to call for backup and wait for them to surround the field, yet he never once thought about getting these kids he was so worried about out of the car and to safety. Something smells real bad here.

[Tramonto]

Other deputies soon arrived and formed a perimeter around the back end of the football field in case Loggins was trying to flee, Amormino said. Because it was dark, nobody could see where Loggins was.

The other deputies responded and set up a perimeter around the field in less than five minutes. That is an amazing response time. Of course, it only takes seconds to run across a field so if the Marine was trying to escape, they would have still been too late.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

It doesn’t pass the “sniff test” (”Something is rotten in Denmark..”)

There is probable cause for the traffic stop.
There is no credible reason for the use of “lethal physical force “ , other than the officers ‘belief’ that the kids might be in danger.

I wonder if he would have done the same if the driver was certifiably deaf.

Personally, I think that it is an over reaction following the Powell father who killed his children while the socialworker was outside the door, and then blew the house up with a gas explosion.
Interestingly enough in the Powell incident ,the 911 operator queried the social caseworker for 6 minutes, and then hesitated another 11 minutes before making the radio call to dispatch police, who arrived another 6 minutes later(a matter of 23 minutes before police arrival).

Bottom line: no justification for the use of “deadly physical force”, and will result in a lawsuit.

[dragnet2]

By the time the daughter's "statemen" are made public, they will line up exactly word for word with the deputies statement.

If that were the case, the DA and the rest of the local biggov would have broadcasted to the world what the kids version was, IMO. In fact if this guy had any child abuse incidents ever in his life, they would have given you every detail...

No weapon, no mention the marine attempted to use his vehicle to run over the deputy, nothing...zip..

BTW, the deputy shot the marine straight through the driver side window, so there is *no* way they can say the marine tried to use his vehicle as a weapon.

OCSD knows this reeks really bad.

If I were this marine's family, I'd hire the best attorney possible, and they probably already have.

[fabian]

yes sounds like it! how dare they patrol the streets with that short of mental fuse! Goodness gracious! Who the heck are we employing with our tax extracted dollars!

[fabian]

yes sounds like it! how dare they patrol the streets with that short of mental fuse! Goodness gracious! Who the heck are we employing with our tax extracted dollars!

[coloradan]

Let me add: to protect the kids, we killed their father. Maybe they weren’t wearing seat belts?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I take it it's OK to shoot cops then, if they "appear" to be acting irrationally?

[TomGuy]

Shooting through the side window — to protect the children, who happened to still be IN the vehicle — seems excessive.

Why not shoot out the tires?

Since the marine was apparently unarmed, did the officer(s) try to restrain him before he got into the vehicle, because of his erratic behavior?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Bottom line: no justification for the use of “deadly physical force”, and will result in a lawsuit.

More importantly, some prison time.

[Krankor]

I want to know what that cop was really doing there at 4:40 in the morning. Was he sleeping? Drinking?

[Mears]

“By the time the daughter’s “statemen” are made public, they will line up exactly word for word with the deputies statement.”

—

And you seem to be a member of the cops can do no right crowd.

[DUMBGRUNT]

Did they shoot OJ in the famous slow speed chase?