OIS Investigations
CA Attorney General Rob Bonta courtesy oag.ca.gov
Two officer-involved shootings last month on New Year’s Eve are under investigation by the California Department of Justice. On Friday, January 2, State Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the review of the Southland shootings in a press release. The first incident reportedly occurred in a parking lot on Foothill Boulevard in Fontana at around 1:36 pm on December 31.
Fontana Police say they attempted to detain a male suspect who was wanted in connection with the sale and trafficking of narcotics. The alleged suspect reportedly used his vehicle to ram several police vehicles as well as another car in the area. Then, an officer-involved shooting occurred, according to a Fontana Police press release. Paramedics were called. Later, the suspect was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The second OIS went down that same night around 9:40 pm in San Pedro. It reportedly began as a domestic violence call from an apartment on West 37th Street, near South Pacific Avenue. Two officers dispatched to the scene found a suspect inside. According to media reports, when the officers attempted to detain the man, identified as 39-year-old Lawrence Gonzales, a violent confrontation developed. An officer-involved shooting followed. Gonzales was taken to the hospital, but he did not survive. Two officers were treated for minor injuries.
By law, the DOJ is required to investigate any OIS involving the death of an unarmed civilian.
