Charges Against Ex-LA Cop In Costco Shooting Of Disabled Man Dropped

CORONA, CA — An ex-Los Angeles police officer accused of fatally shooting a developmentally disabled man and wounding his parents at a Corona Costco in 2019 will not be tried again after a hung jury in his first manslaughter case ended in a mistrial, prosecutors have announced.

During Friday's trial-readiness conference for the case against former Los Angeles police Department Officer Salvador Alejandro Sanchez in the shooting death of 32-year-old Kenneth French, the charges were dismissed, The Press-Enterprise reported.

The state Attorney General's Office shared its decision to dismiss the charges.

"The Department of Justice stands by the decision to charge and prosecute this case," the justice department announced in a prepared statement. "However, after considering a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the input of the surviving victims and feedback from the trial jury, the department has decided not to retry the case."

In 2019, Sanchez shot and killed 32-year-old Kenneth French and wounded his parents after French allegedly pushed him while shopping inside the Corona Costco.

According to KTLA, Sanchez was off-duty at the time when drew his weapon and shot French four times, as well as French's parents once each. French died from his wounds and was taken out of the Corona Costco in a body bag.

In January, jurors deadlocked in the first trial against Sanchez, and a mistrial was declared.

Defense attorney Michael Schwartz told The Press-Enterprise that jurors favored an acquittal on the voluntary manslaughter charge by a 9-3 count at that time.

Sanchez told the jury that he "thought he had been shot and fired in self-defense," the PE reported.

The French family filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department, the city of Los Angeles, and Sanchez at the end of 2019, alleging negligence and civil rights violations. A Los Angeles jury in November 2021 ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, awarding them $17 million for the loss of their son.