E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSView more videos at: http://nbcsandiego.com.
The father of a Camp Pendleton-based Marine shot and killed by police in Palm Springs, Calif., said the actions described by officials are uncharacteristic of his son.
Cpl. Allan DeVillena, 22, was killed Saturday during a confrontation with police officers in downtown Palm Springs.
"He's not the type to start anything, let alone with a police officer. He was smarter than that," said Allan DeVillena Sr.
Also on NBCSanDiego.com: Several loose dogs found on scene of woman's death
As he traveled from the family’s home in the Bay Area to Palm Springs, DeVillena said he had questions about the police officers' actions.
"No. There was no just cause," he said, adding that his son wouldn't confront police officers. "It's just not in him."
Officials say DeVillena used his car as a weapon against two officers, who the department said fired on the Marine and his passenger out of fear for their safety and the safety of others.
Also on NBCSanDiego.com: Firefighters stumble on major pot grow at building fire
"One of the officers climbed partially through the passenger side window attempting to stop the vehicle," said Palm Springs Chief of Police Al Franz. "The suspect accelerated directly towards the second officer, striking him, and continued on with the initial officer suspended in the passenger side window. The suspect continued driving before crashing the vehicle near the exit."
At 22 years old, “AJ” as he was known to family members, had already survived one tour in Afghanistan. DeVillena said his son had a lot of friends and stayed close with family despite his deployment.
Also on NBCSanDiego.com: Driver nabbed in 100 mph cross-county chase
AJ was based at Camp Pendleton, but stationed at Twentynine Palms.
The passenger in his vehicle was not injured.
The two officers involved had four years on the force, according to the Palm Springs NBC-affiliate KMIR-TV. They have been placed on administrated leave during the investigation.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Jill Kelley: The woman at the heart of a scandal
- FBI agent sent shirtless photos to Kelley, officials say
- ISAF commander Gen. John Allen under investigation over 'inappropriate' emails
- Video: Pregnant wife runs over spouse for not voting, police say
- Hearing loss the most prevalent injury among returning veterans
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
Not a whole lot of the story known, however, every parent feels their child wouldn't do something and yet their child does the unexpected. It is a parent's nature to not believe bad of their child yet over and over again it is found that their child was the one who committed the crime, shooting up colleges, movie theaters, schools etc. I feel bad for the family of these ones because they are victims of their children's actions as well as others involved in the incident. It is not fair to blame the parents for their kid's actions most of the time. They just didn't realize their child had snapped or what has happened to them.
Some kids are so obviously bad, that I don't know how the parents don't even recognize it or if they actually condone it.
With all due respect "good" kids do not join the Marines :) and go into combat zone.
Smooth thats a load of BS your spewing. Their are plenty of good kids that join the Marine. As desire for action and to be on the front lines is a calling that these people feel. I think you need to look up the definition of heroism because you're confusing that with your cowardice.
So an Airforce member flying a bomber can inflict thousands of times much damage to the enemy as a single marine. Are they not good because of this.
Do you know what you mean by 'good' because its seems you're clueless.
Back to the issue, while I dont know the real circumstances, many ground soldiers come back from combat with real issues. Not saying this was the case, but since we dont know your speculation that this kid wasnt good is as unfounded as me saying that you sleep with farm animals.
Adam-2011718 what have you been inhailing lately? Give you one example: Formrr president, Mr Bill Clinton was a "good" kid :)
Adam- As a Marine myself, I'm going to have to agree with Smooth on this. We have a trouble making side to us that is needed for what we do. Now, If the context are that only criminals join the Corps then he is totally wrong.
But for the instance, more information is needed before I will comment on his actions
Smooth is partially right about "good" kids not joining the Corps. Typically "good" kids join the Air Force, Army, Cub Scouts. Only the "Hardiest Warriors" can wear the Marine emblem.
And I'd be surprised if Mr. Bill Clinton tried to run over some cops...
BTW, I know parents who insist their good kids are really bad. So please don't stereotype.
There are plenty of cases where police shootings are questionable and where officers have lied about the circumstances in order to protect their jobs and their fellow officers' jobs, but since this one involves a vehicle and what is basically a trail of damage--striking an officer with the car, then continuing on to crash near an exit--the fault for this incident falls more on the victim in the driver's seat than on the officers.
If he'd been killed in a stopped car, that's another matter, and then clearly the use of violence on the part of the police would've been unjustified... but he was not. He committed acts in a moving vehicle and he did not shut off or stop the vehicle under his control.
First I have heard of this incident. This story sounds rather disjointed, no details.
?????
You must be new to the vine.
LOL thepunisher..
Screminmimi - It works like this.. They trow a story to us and we the peanut gallery read the little known facts and try to make up the ending or offer up a cruel punishment and then turn the blame to either Bush or Obama...
HAHA
Don't forget to add the invective against anyone who disagrees with your assessment.
I blame "Meatless Mondays" for this...
I disagree with your assessment.
In the town where my wedding took place there was a parade that day and the police were preparing, closing off the road early in the morning. My wedding party and I had to get to the other side of town to deliver the flowers to the bridesmaids. Two of my grooms-men had just returned from Iraq and they joked about how it was difficult to listen to police when you've returned from a combat zone where you were the authority. They said they wanted to drive through the barricade and get to the other side because that's exactly what they would have done if Iraq.
I'm sure that story is relevant here for obvious reasons.
another murder by coppers ... when is this going to end ... when people will decide to fight back with the same lethal force. Suing them is a lost cause anyways.
Your son might have been "smarter than that", sir.
Trouble was, he was dealing with men who weren't, and so this is what happens when you get a bunch of militant, racist, ARYAN BROTHERHOOD-joining cops together. People get killed, esp. minorities.
It doesn't take much to set 'em off, and they'll say whatever they need to say whether it's the truth or NOT.
We all know how they are, and we all know that's how they are. You can't do anything about it.
Cops lie. Cops lie to each other, cops lie to their superiors, and they've got NO COMPUNCTION about lying in a court of law. They're lying liars, and this is what happens when you get militant, racist, Aryan Brotherhood-joining cops together, and give them a deadly weapon.
You can't give men like them a weapon, they'll whip it out on you for any reason at all and they're dying to do so. They're frightened, they're poorly-trained for the job they are doing, and they hate EVERYBODY, except each other.
All common sense and reason goes out the window when you are dealing with police officers these days.
You might live, you might not.
And it doesn't have to make sense.
How in the hell do you turn this into a race issue. kid hit one cop with a car while dragging another. I see it as 2 counts of attempted murder on a peace officer
I see it as the final act of a brave warrior against the statist authority threatening to steal his bunny slippers
This sounds very odd. Few facts given. Perhaps the kid was disoriented, or passed out, and that is the explanation? Just can't tell from what is written.
p@yahoo & Liza Null. You are idiots.
no, you are
As an ex-cop who is a veteran of thee riots, including one of the worst in American history and another in which I was severely injured, I am ashamed of some of today's clowns who should never have been given a badge. It would seem that one of the first things they learn in the academy are the "get out of jail" words, ''I was in fear for my life and the safety of others." This justification for shooting and/or killing a member of the public will appear in ANY news story about a police killing.
funny thing how most of the new cops around here are fresh out of the military, innocent people are going to end up dead with one of them blaming ptsd
DeVillena....history again!!