By: During the tense days of the manhunt for cop-killer Christopher Dorner, Los Angeles police department officers impulsively opened fire on a truck resembling Dorner’s, only to discover that the truck’s occupants were two women delivering newspapers.
The two women who were mistakenly shot by the LAPD during the manhunt for Christopher Dorner will receive a $4.2 million settlement from the city. Margie Carranza, 47, and her 71 year-old mother Emma Hernandez were delivering newspapers in the early hours of February 7thwhen they drove down the street of a LAPD captain named in Dorner’s manifesto. Unbeknownst to them, the street was heavily armed by police searching for Dorner, who then repeatedly fired on the women’s blue Toyota Truck. While the details of the shooting are still scarce, it began when police mistook their truck for Dorner’s gray Nissan Truck he was said to be driving at the time. Carranza suffered superficial wounds while her mother was struck twice in the back. One of those bullets went through Hernandez’s upper back, barely missing her heart, and exited out of her chest. They have both recovered.
Some have raised eyebrows at the $4.2 million, saying it was unusually high for a case that did not involve catastrophic injuries or death, but both sides are happy with the settlement, calling it a “reasonable compromise”. The settlement also puts an end to the ongoing dispute between the women’s attorneys and the city on how to replace their truck, which was riddled with bullet holes. In regards to how fast the settlement happened in comparison to other civil lawsuits, which can take years, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said this case was unusually quick because the incident was a “sore spot” for the department and wanted to put it behind them. The department has described the shooting as a “tragic mistake by officers”. There is still an ongoing investigation into the eight officers involved, who remain off patrol duties.
Attorneys for both the women and the city say they are ready to put the memories of the shooting and of Dorner behind them. Talks about a settlement for a man shot by Torrance police after they also mistook him for Dorner are said to start in June.
It is understandable that the LAPD were on high alert and full of tension during the Christopher Dorner manhunt. However, this did not mean that they could shoot at innocent bystanders just because there was a “possibility” that it was Dorner. We put our trust in police everyday to protect us and make reasonable decisions in tense situations. Carranza and Hernandez could have been killed by the LAPD.
Orange County police shooting attorneys at the Roberts Law Firm represent people wrongfully shot by police officers in Orange County. We have helped many receive compensation for the physical and emotional trauma they have suffered that could take years to overcome.