LA Sheriff’s department hits out at social media posts falsely identifying Compton gunman as they offer 100k reward
Shooting occurred on Saturday as deputies sat in patrol car
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has warned that a social media post that claimed to identify the suspect in a shooting of officers in Compton is not accurate.
On Saturday, two deputies were shot while sitting in their patrol car at a Metro rail station in Compton, California.
The deputies, a 24-year-old man and a 31-year-old mother, are expected to recover after they both underwent surgery over the weekend, according to Los Angeles County sheriff Alex Villanueva.
On Saturday, the department released footage of the shooting from a nearby surveillance camera, and offered a $100,000 (£77,556) reward to anyone who could help identify the alleged shooter.
The surveillance footage showed a suspect walk up to the patrol car and fire two shots into the passenger side window before running from the scene.
The authorities described the suspect as a black man between the ages of 28 to 30, but admitted that they only had a “very generic description” of him.
However, on Sunday, a social media post that claimed to identify the suspect in the shooting spread, which prompted the department to refute the claims.
The department tweeted: “Currently, there is a social media post that is being circulated which identifies a male out of the Los Angeles area as the suspect responsible for the ambush of our two deputies yesterday.
“This is ERRONEOUS information and there are no named or wanted suspects at this time.”
The shooting was condemned by both the Democratic nominee for president, Joe Biden, and the Republican nominee Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump called for the shooter to be given the death penalty, while Mr Biden tweeted: “This cold-blooded shooting is unconscionable and the perpetrator must be brought to justice.”
In recent weeks, the department has faced scrutiny over police brutality, following more than three months of Black Lives Matter protests across the US that were sparked by the death of unarmed black man George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police.
A small group of Compton residents protested against police outside the hospital where the deputies were recovering on Sunday, and sheriff Villanueva described the gathering as an “unlawful assembly of a group of protesters.”
The FBI is aiding the department with its investigation into Saturday’s shooting.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments