TORRANCE, Calif. (KTLA) — Two women are recovering after their pickup was riddled by police gunfire in Torrance, in what investigators are calling a case of mistaken identity.
The officers who opened fire were on the lookout for fugitive Christopher Dorner. Another vehicle was also mistakenly fired upon not far away.
The first incident happened about 5:30 a.m. Thursday in the 19500 block of Redbeam Avenue.
It involved LAPD detectives from the Hollywood division, who were reportedly on a protective detail for an LAPD captain and his family named in Dorner’s manifesto.
Emma Hernandez, 71, was delivering the Los Angeles Times with her daughter, 47-year-old Margie Carranza, when officers apparently mistook their pickup for that of Dorner.
Hernandez was shot in the back, and remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Carranza suffered a wound from glass that struck her hand and received stitches.
“Tragically, we believe this is a case of mistaken identity,” Charlie Beck, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, said on Thursday about the shooting.
Hernandez and Carranza are both expected to be okay. They have retained attorney Glen T. Jonas.
“There was no warning, there was no orders or no commands… just gunshots,” Jonas told reporters.
According to Jonas, the women’s vehicle was “the wrong color and the wrong model,” compared to Dorner’s.
He said that police “had the goal of administering street justice” and “didn’t take the time to notice that these two older, small Latina women didn’t look like a large black man.”
“We trust that the LAPD will step up and do the right thing and acknowledge that what they did was unacceptable and we’ll deal with it,” Jonas said.
The second incident, which involved Torrance police officers, happened around 5:45 a.m. at Flagler Lane and Beryl Street.
The Torrance officers had apparently heard about the nearby incident, and while en route they encountered a dark pickup that looked similar to Dorner’s.
They opened fire on the pickup. The man who was inside was not hit. So far, there has been no word of plans for a lawsuit from him.
–Chris Burrous reporting
449 Comments to “Female Paper Carrier, 71, Shot During Manhunt”
February 10, 2013 at 7:57 AM
Hey,,, if you can't shoot the one you want shoot anything. Cowards.
February 10, 2013 at 8:17 AM
maybe dorner has something on some corrupt cops~!~!and thats why they shooting up everything,, and they color blind, blue doesnt look like grey at all,,, 2 ladies, not one driver,,, wow these lapd cops need MORE TRAINING~!~! maybe they getting worried something going to get out~!~! an~!~ and they need to kill him,,, we may never know,,, just my oppinion~!~!~
February 10, 2013 at 9:17 AM
LAPDs old motto "to Serve and Protect"
LAPDs new motto "To Spray and Pray"
February 10, 2013 at 9:33 AM
The other innocent victim the LAPD tried to kill. Hes a white guy whos shorter and weights 100lbs less than Dorner… and once again driving a DIFFERENT vehicle… the fact they are trying to stand up for these police officers rather than disciplining them WITHOUT pay (like they should) illustrates more of the blue line mentality. They believe as cops they can do whatever they want, and then will lie and cheat to protect that… like saying the man wasn't injured when he was… not mentioning they totalled his car… they conveniently leave out the facts… this just proves they are NOT trustworthy.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-torrance-…
February 10, 2013 at 1:10 PM
I hear this Domer guy has been seen several times driving in Law Enforcement vehicles. Also wearing clothing resembling that of law enforcement personnel.
February 10, 2013 at 3:59 PM
While I do not condone murder; I do support Dorner in his quest for justice. Look how officers blindly try to protect their own with no regard for innocent citizens. Police protect their own. Police are appointed to enforce the the law; so this essentially puts them above the law. Time to clean house; I'm glad Dorner picked up the broom.
February 11, 2013 at 5:30 AM
Fear can affect people's judgement and these cops need to be fired for not taking time to identify their targets,period!! You call it for what it is and these are cowardly cops who shoot first and ask questions of themselves afterwards.Police are trained and these cops did not follow protocall and now two innocent women are injured because of these cops.These women need to sue the city to obtain compensation for nobody who's innocent ought to get shot unjustly,if this were you would you just brush it off as unfortunate,I think not !!
February 13, 2013 at 9:12 PM
Irony –
Dorner claimed he was fired because he reported another cop for use of excessive force…