Rogue California cop on trial at last

There is video of what happened here -- showing that the aggressive cop did not give the guy a chance. It's sheer luck that the guy survived three bullets in him. Extended commentary on the matter here. It will be a disgrace if the cop gets off -- but we know how heavily cops are protected from the consequences of their misdeeds

A sheriff's deputy abandoned core training practices and engaged in "extraordinarily risky" behavior when he confronted, then shot, an Iraq war veteran after a high-speed chase, an expert witness testified. Senior Airman Elio Carrion was shot three times by Ivory J. Webb, then a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department deputy, in a videotaped confrontation after the car crashed into a concrete wall. Webb, 46, has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of voluntary attempted manslaughter and assault with a firearm. If convicted, he could face more than 18 years in prison.

Joe Callanan, the prosecution's expert, testified Monday that as a lone officer on the scene, Webb was trained to stay in a defensive position by his patrol car, using his open door as a shield. "You have to have discipline and, personal control," said Callanan, a retired Los Angeles County sheriff's training officer and police use-of-force specialist.

According to earlier testimony, Webb never reported over his police radio that he was engaged in a pursuit. His first transmission was to report that he was holding two suspects at gunpoint. He then gave backup officers at least two erroneous reports of his whereabouts, leaving them unable to find and help him.

Defense attorneys argue Webb may have believed Carrion was reaching for a weapon in his jacket pocket as he stood up. Carrion testified last week that he never reached into his jacked but acknowledged that both he and the driver, a high school friend, were intoxicated and did not follow Webb's orders to be quiet.

The shooting happened after Carrion and his friend left a barbecue in the airman's honor. He was home on leave after serving a six-month tour in Iraq and preparing to return to his base in Louisiana.

Report here



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