For the first time in nearly two decades, a Los Angeles County law enforcement official has been ordered to stand trial for a fatal shooting.
Sheriff’s Deputy Luke Liu is charged with voluntary manslaughter in the Feb. 24, 2016, shooting death of Francisco Garcia at a Norwalk gas station.
After a hearing that stretched over three days, Superior Court Judge Michael E. Pastor on Friday rejected a motion by Liu’s attorney to dismiss the manslaughter charge and a special allegation of intentionally discharging a firearm, which caused death.
When Liu, 40, was charged in December, he became the first officer to face prosecution for an on-duty shooting since 2000, when LAPD Officer Ronald Orosco was accused of shooting an unarmed motorist in the back in September of that year during a dispute over a traffic citation. More than 1,500 shootings by officers have occurred since then without charges.
Read the full story on LATimes.com.