Streck-Fu
01-17-2014, 12:00
Did nothing wrong. Reasonable mistake. After all, it was an environment of extreme anticipation and fear....LINK (http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20140114/police-shooting-at-redondo-beach-man-during-dorner-manhunt-was-reasonable-mistake-da-says)
Officer Brian McGee acted in “an atmosphere of fear and extreme anticipation” when he purposely rammed David Perdue’s pickup truck and fired at least three shots at him on Feb. 7, 2013, mistakenly believing Dorner was at the wheel. The bullets missed Perdue, who has filed a lawsuit against the city of Torrance.
During their shift, McGee and Sooper monitored radio traffic for updates on Dorner, watched news reports about the shootings of the officers in Corona and Riverside, and read portions of the manifesto out loud. They stopped at the Redbeam address, where LAPD officers told them they expected to see Dorner.
This put McGee and Sooper on “heightened alert,” anticipating a shoot-out with Dorner, who McGee said was ‘dedicated to killing people,’ ” the report said.
About 4:45 a.m., a Los Angeles police sergeant in charge of the security team on Redbeam called Torrance to report that a Culver City police officer had spotted Dorner’s truck coming off the 105 Freeway. Hawthorne police received a similar call.
McGee and Sooper then positioned themselves to monitor traffic on Flagler, just outside where the LAPD captain lived. Two other officers, Brent Clissold and Daniel Cid, were parked down the street. El Segundo police put out another report that a truck matching Dorner’s just exited the 105.
“McGee was certain that Dorner was traveling to Redbeam to kill the LAPD captain,” the report said. McGee and Sooper decided they would ram his truck if he showed up.
Both officers then heard gunshots. It sounded like a gunbattle McGee experienced while serving in Iraq. Sooper yelled, “Go! Go! Go!” Clissold yelled over the radio, “We have shots fired!” McGee heard the tension and believed the Torrance officers nearby were in a shoot-out with Dorner.
In reality, the LAPD officers on Redbeam were shooting at two newspaper carriers they mistook for Dorner.
McGee told investigators he believed “the guy is here and the fight is on. He’s killing people and I need to get there.”
At that point, Perdue drove into his path. Perdue, the report said, had just attempted to turn onto Towers Street from Flagler, but was stopped by two Torrance officers and told to turn around. As he headed toward Beryl Street, McGee and Sooper headed toward him just as the LAPD’s shots rang out.
“I come around the corner and this black vehicle is coming. ... I mean and my heart literally sank and I thought my buddies had just got killed,” the report said.
Sooper told investigators they were driving toward each other head-on.
“Sooper yelled, ‘That’s it, that’s it! Ram it, ram it, ram it!” the report said. McGee steered toward Perdue’s truck and slammed into. McGee was dazed in the collision, finding himself just 20 feet from the truck. His door would not open.
McGee told investigators he was “panicking inside, thinking if I don’t get out of this car seat, I’m gonna die. He’s gonna kill me. He’s gonna shoot me. I 100 percent believe it’s him.”
McGee said he heard more shots and believed they were from close range and coming at his head. Still panicking and not able to see movement in Perdue’s truck, McGee forced open his door and fired three shots through the driver’s side window of the truck. The bullets missed Perdue, who yelled an obscenity and “You’re shooting at me!”
The officer then realized his mistake. Dorner was black. Perdue was white. McGee asked if Perdue was all right.
Officer Brian McGee acted in “an atmosphere of fear and extreme anticipation” when he purposely rammed David Perdue’s pickup truck and fired at least three shots at him on Feb. 7, 2013, mistakenly believing Dorner was at the wheel. The bullets missed Perdue, who has filed a lawsuit against the city of Torrance.
During their shift, McGee and Sooper monitored radio traffic for updates on Dorner, watched news reports about the shootings of the officers in Corona and Riverside, and read portions of the manifesto out loud. They stopped at the Redbeam address, where LAPD officers told them they expected to see Dorner.
This put McGee and Sooper on “heightened alert,” anticipating a shoot-out with Dorner, who McGee said was ‘dedicated to killing people,’ ” the report said.
About 4:45 a.m., a Los Angeles police sergeant in charge of the security team on Redbeam called Torrance to report that a Culver City police officer had spotted Dorner’s truck coming off the 105 Freeway. Hawthorne police received a similar call.
McGee and Sooper then positioned themselves to monitor traffic on Flagler, just outside where the LAPD captain lived. Two other officers, Brent Clissold and Daniel Cid, were parked down the street. El Segundo police put out another report that a truck matching Dorner’s just exited the 105.
“McGee was certain that Dorner was traveling to Redbeam to kill the LAPD captain,” the report said. McGee and Sooper decided they would ram his truck if he showed up.
Both officers then heard gunshots. It sounded like a gunbattle McGee experienced while serving in Iraq. Sooper yelled, “Go! Go! Go!” Clissold yelled over the radio, “We have shots fired!” McGee heard the tension and believed the Torrance officers nearby were in a shoot-out with Dorner.
In reality, the LAPD officers on Redbeam were shooting at two newspaper carriers they mistook for Dorner.
McGee told investigators he believed “the guy is here and the fight is on. He’s killing people and I need to get there.”
At that point, Perdue drove into his path. Perdue, the report said, had just attempted to turn onto Towers Street from Flagler, but was stopped by two Torrance officers and told to turn around. As he headed toward Beryl Street, McGee and Sooper headed toward him just as the LAPD’s shots rang out.
“I come around the corner and this black vehicle is coming. ... I mean and my heart literally sank and I thought my buddies had just got killed,” the report said.
Sooper told investigators they were driving toward each other head-on.
“Sooper yelled, ‘That’s it, that’s it! Ram it, ram it, ram it!” the report said. McGee steered toward Perdue’s truck and slammed into. McGee was dazed in the collision, finding himself just 20 feet from the truck. His door would not open.
McGee told investigators he was “panicking inside, thinking if I don’t get out of this car seat, I’m gonna die. He’s gonna kill me. He’s gonna shoot me. I 100 percent believe it’s him.”
McGee said he heard more shots and believed they were from close range and coming at his head. Still panicking and not able to see movement in Perdue’s truck, McGee forced open his door and fired three shots through the driver’s side window of the truck. The bullets missed Perdue, who yelled an obscenity and “You’re shooting at me!”
The officer then realized his mistake. Dorner was black. Perdue was white. McGee asked if Perdue was all right.