Los Angeles District Attorney Reduces Death Penalty for Police Officer Murder
Los Angeles district attorney George Gascón goes against prosecutors and will not ask for the death penalty for an admitted gang member accused of police murder; Officer Boyer’s stepfather Don Clark joins the ‘Fox and Friends weekend’.
Los Angeles District Attorney (DA) George Gascón said on Friday that he would not seek the death penalty for an admitted gang member who killed a police officer and his own cousin.
Michael Christopher Mejia, 30, is awaiting trial on charges brought on February 20, 2017.
One of Mejia’s victims was police officer Keith Boyer, 53, who was responding to a report of a traffic collision in which Mejia was involved.
Michael Christopher Mejia
Mejia shot Boyer and another police officer, Patrick Hazell, while trying to escape from the accident site. Hazell survived a shot in the abdomen.
Deputy District Attorney Garrett Dameron said during a hearing in Norwalk Court that he had been ordered to remove the death penalty consideration, despite his own objection and that of Representative DA Geoff Lewis, FOX LA reported.
MINNEAPOLIS DEBITS THE REFORM OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN VIRTUAL AUDIENCE
Don Clark, Boyer’s stepfather, said the reversal was “a punch in the stomach”.
“People don’t realize how difficult it is for families,” Clark said tearfully to Fox & Friends presenter Jedediah Bila on Saturday.
“What Gascón is doing – not just with our family, but with his cousin’s family – but with so many other families … this is absolutely horrible,” added Clark.
CALIFORNIA DEPUTIES SHOOT AND KILL HOMELESS MAN ACCUSED TO REACH THE OFFICER’S WEAPON, VIDEO SHOWS
Clark found it difficult to hear Mejia say that he is “proud” of what he did and that he should have “smoked” the other cop before.
Whittier’s chief of police, Aviv Bar, spoke at the hearing, saying Boyer’s death was “devastating for our department”.
LA SCHOOL BOARD REACHES SCHOOL OFFICERS, DIVING US $ 25 million TO SUPPORT BLACK STUDENTS
Mejia also killed his own cousin, Roy Torres. Tiffany Garcia, a relative of Torres, said: “I will be your voice, but that is not justice.”
During a recorded interview with the police, Mejia initially said he did not remember the murders because he was “drugged”, but later admitted to all the murders and shootings, saying “all three deserved it”, according to reports.
“They just got a taste of an LA gang member, a real LA gang member,” said Mejia. “Do you know what I mean?”
“And, no, I’m not sorry. Because I know they would have abandoned me, they wouldn’t feel sorry for my family,” he added.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
In addition to the murder charges, Mejia was charged with one count of attempted murder of a peace officer, car theft and possession of a firearm by a criminal with two previous convictions.
Fox News contacted the Los Angeles district attorney’s office to comment on the pending matter.