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Patrick Fallon / Reuters file
REFILE - CAPTION UPDATE Police detectives investigate a shooting incident involving a blue Toyota Tacoma pickup truck in Torrance, California, February 7, 2013. Police opened fire on the vehicle in a case of mistaken identity while searching for former Los Angeles police officer Christopher Jordan Dorner suspected in a shooting spree that killed three and wounded two others. The occupants of the truck were shot sustaining non-life threatening injuries. REUTERS/Patrick T. Fallon (UNITED STATES - Tags: CRIME LAW)
The Los Angeles City Attorney's office has reached an agreement to pay two newspaper delivery women $40,000 for the loss of their truck, which was shot up by police in a case of mistaken identity during the search for ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner.
The Los Angeles Police Department had said it planned to replace the mother-daughter pair's truck, which was shot at more than 100 times while they delivered newspapers in Torrance, according to the women's attorney.
But the women were told they would need to pay income taxes on the value of the truck after a private donor got an involved -- and 71-year-old Emma Hernandez and daughter Margie Carranza refused that offer.
Details on the "property agreement" with Hernandez and Carranza to compensate them for the truck were announced at a 3 p.m. press conference by LA City Attorney Carmen Trutanich's office. Both Trutanich and the women's attorney, Glen Jonas, were at the event at LA City Hall.
The attorneys said the women will get a check for $40,000 for the value of the truck, and they will not have to pay attorney’s fees or income taxes on the amount.
The agreement releases both sides from liability for the property loss, and it allows the truck to be used by the city as evidence until it's no longer needed. Then the seriously damaged truck will be returned to the women.
The money will come out of the city's general fund.
Trutanich said he believed the agreement was a "fair resolution." Earlier in the week, he had said he wanted to find a way to compensate them for the truck, calling it a "no-brainer."
"It's going to be handled competently, it's going to be handled appropriately and in the best interests of the city of Los Angeles," said Trutanich, who faces reelection on May 21, on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Trutanich's office is examining a demand letter over the shooting sent by Jonas. The letter asks for compensation related to the shooting beyond to the value of the truck.
"I don't understand how they survived," Jonas said last month. "They're grappling with a lot of issues -- the fact that they were almost killed by the police."
On Thursday, he said he's hopeful that the city and his clients can come to an agreement -- based on the ease with which compensation for the truck was worked out.
"I'm pleased to have it done; my clients are pleased to have it done. Everybody gets to move forward, put this incident as far as the donation was concerned, behind us, and get down to business," Jonas said.
"If we don't, we do what lawyers do. We go to trial," Jonas said during the news conference.
The women were shot at Feb. 7 when they drove their blue Toyota Tacoma in the dark, early morning hours toward the Torrance home of one of the police officials who was under protection because of threats in an angry manifesto posted online by Dorner, who was later killed after an extensive manhunt.
Hernandez was shot in the back and still suffers from nerve pain, Jonas said.
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These are the same highly trained and qualified people that Sen. Diane Feinstein wants to be exempt from the semi-automatic weapon and high capacity magazine ban she is pushing through the Senate. They fired over 100 rounds at a vehicle without trying to determine if the suspect was in the vehicle. Sen. Feinstein and the L.A. cops are a true indication of how far California has slipped from reality and responsibility.
I hope the 40,000 is just for the truck and not the whole deal. They should get alot more and the pigs should go to prison.
Shot at over 100 times, amazing that neither woman was killed or seriously injured--pay up La., do the right thing an compensate the ladies. Absorb the tax issue on the truck and send those dolts back for more training in self control and anger management.
They were seriously injured. They should settle for nothing less than $1 million dollars for each bullet fired in thier direction....100 million dollars...each. Police acted unprofessionally and unconstitutionally. Protect and serve my ....ss.
AvgJoeTX-7795150
Yes, it is. They not only shot at two non-african american females when the suspect was an african-american male, but the truck was a different color, and a different make, model , and year. Yes I would like very much to have them and Dorner gaurding my kids at school.
1. Pay these ladies whatever they want - and be Very Thankful they are still ALIVE.
2. Kick these Cops Off the Force and look into CHarging them with.
So they want to be difficult in replacing the truck for these Ladies? I so hope they sue the crap out of the inept LAPD.
Over 100 rounds and they are alive? Count your blessings LAPD and get back on the firing range. Let them pick out the truck and you pay for it the next day no matter what the cost. If these cops are still on the force then they need to be kicked off. I defend the cops the majority of the time; not this time though. pbGR - said it best.
yep and pick out a truck that is bullet proof also
Unlike those Wild West cops that did the shooting.
The really funny part is the original bulletins had Dorner driving a black Titan, not a blue Tacoma!!
I wouldn't settle for anything under seven figures. These city cowboys could have killed the women. If the driver had lost control, who knows what further damage their vehicle could have done. If these cops aren't fired you'll know how corrupt the LAPD and the County Sheriff's Departments are without a doubt.
AND they would have lied about the women and tried some bs excuse about "they were driving aggressively" and "we feared for our lives".
LAPD: The Stormtroopers of U.S. law enforcement.
squidgod, that is so true that it is totally hilarious. I also think they should pay for the hospital bill of these ladies, the amount of money they lost not being able to work, some time with a shrink for the trauma, the truck, the taxes on all of it, and just shut the @!$%# up. Also fire those 2 idiots that started firing. Its called Proper Target Acquisition. Everyone els has to do it, the police should definitely not be exempt.
Just like back in the old west days.
Maybe the LAPD's new slogan should be, "Kill them all and let God sort them out."
Handled appropriately and in the best interest of the city of Los Angeles. NOT the two woman that were shot up buy the pigs of Los Angeles PDT.
.....and theses people just can not understand why people do not trust or like the city government or their little piggie guards with guns.
Paper delivery person's fault. It's really dumb to post
on facebook that you're "riding the bicycle" with a cop's wife.
I'm sure the ladies -esp the one wounded - will get seven-figure settlements. Replacing the truck is chump change, a foolish thing for Chief Beck to bring up and then have trouble implementing due to the tax law that even Wheel-of-Fortune fans understand. Just negotiate a fair settlement and be done with it.
We need to stop letting law enforcement getting away with this kind of crap and then just buying their way out of it. These cops should all be charges with felony endangering of life.
Joe F; you are right; this shooting was beyond incompetence, an embarrassment to competent law enforcement everywhere.
LA should get them EACH a car plus mental trauma!! 40,000 is not enough to be shot at that many times! PAY up LA. They deserve a WHOLE lot more than a measly truck!
The victims are lucky to be alive. The cops that did this should be fired!
Just think. Feinstein wants these guys to have 'Assault Weapons' but not vets. Who would you trust more,a combat trained vet or a LA cop?
The cops should be fired: but they wont be.
If these women settle for 40k, they are nuts as they will get a huge out of court settlement if they try
the cops need to go to the shooting range for practice.
The women should sue the hell out of the cops and LA
I sure as hell wouldnt let them off with giving me 40k maybe 40k a bullet
What I find most troubling is the "Chief" never mentioned disiplinary charges or actions against the two idiots involved.
As others noted, it was the wrong make and model, but even more damning is that they were looking for a SINGLE individual. So they opened fire on a vehicle with TWO occupants and apparently tried to shoot each side equally.
Did they ever stop to think that Dohner might have had a HOSTAGE?
Another reason I avoid Los Angeles in particular and Californis in general. Psychos with badges and attitudes. And I'm NORMALLY the first to defend a LEO.
I won't be bringing more events to L.A. Too dangerous with a PD that is inept.
Signed: Won't be back.
Astonishing how much hostility is out there against the police. And from all sides, indeed all over, the political spectrum. A policeman's lot is not a happy one, indeed!
These ladies were delivering newspapers in the dead of night from a pickup truck. Apparently no one bothered to tell the officers on the scene to expect them. It is likely in that this was work in the informal economy that at least one of them was not working legally. To avoid deportation they accept this nominal settlement.
The illegal status may have caused the truck's owner to try to flee rather than stop and exit the truck. If so, then she must bear a portion of the responsibility for all those shots being fired before the truck finally stopped.
sorry if someone is shooting at me i would "flee" or shoot back
Hey, great idea, johnny! After we put guns in all the grade schools, let's arm the paper boys. That way they can "shoot back". Or shoot first!
Dorner had by then murdered three people, one a local cop who apparently gave him a chance to surrender. If a properly constituted SWAT team could have been assigned to every person Dorner stated he would kill, the police forces in Southland would not have had to put together this scratch force, and this near tragedy would not have occurred, BUT the officers weren't shooting at the women, only trying to STOP THE TRUCK.
100 rounds in the wrong truck with 2 immocent women inside, it's a miracle they weren't both killed. This is taking incompetence to a higher level these thugs not only used poor judgement but they were both totally incompetent with their service weapons. these police officers are a danger to themselves as well as to others.
a threat to the public and themselves. They should be locked up.