LA Deputy Charged In Fatal On-Duty Shooting

LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was charged Tuesday with voluntary manslaughter, making him the first LA County law enforcement to be charged in a fatal on-duty shooting in nearly two decades.

Deputy Luke Liu, 40, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a voluntary manslaughter charge in the 2016 shooting death of a 26-year-old man at a Norwalk gas station. If convicted in the death of Francisco Garcia, he faces 21 years in prison. The case comes amid mounting pressure on Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey to pursue criminal charges in police shootings that civil rights leaders see as unjustified.

Lacey, who issued a statement saying Liu's use of force "was unjustified and unreasonable under the circumstances."

Liu was on patrol when he spotted a vehicle he suspected was stolen at gas station in the 10900 block of Alondra Boulevard. Prosecutors contend he pulled up behind it, walked to the driver's side door, then walked to the rear of the car, and when he returned to the driver's side door, Garcia began to drive away at about 5 mph. Liu allegedly ran alongside the car and fired seven shots. Garcia was hit by four of the rounds and died at a hospital.

After the shooting, sheriff's officials said Liu was in fear for his life when the suspect turned on the car and appeared to reach for something behind the car's passenger seat. They claimed the deputy was struck by the vehicle, suffering minor injuries. They also noted the deputy performed CPR on the suspect before paramedics arrived.

No weapons were found in the vehicle, sheriff's officials said.

According to the District Attorney's Office, the shooting occurred within 20 seconds of Liu first approaching Garcia. The shooting was also seen by several witnesses and was partly captured on surveillance video.

"There is an inherent danger for law enforcement officers every time they put on the uniform," Lacey said. "We applaud their dedication and bravery to make split-second decisions in potentially life-threatening situations. But we also must hold them accountable when their conduct is unlawful."

Liu appeared faced a judge in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday, entering his not-guilty plea. He remains out of custody, but his bail was set $1.1 million. He is schedule to appear back in court on Jan. 31.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the last Los Angeles County law enforcement officer to be prosecuted for an on-duty shooting was LAPD Officer Ronald Orosco. He was accused of shooting an unarmed motorist in the back during a September 2000 dispute over a traffic citation. The motorist survived. Orosco pleaded no contest to a felony count of shooting into an occupied vehicle and was sentenced to five years in prison, The Times reported.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report. Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.