More than a dozen Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies will be disciplined for their roles in a controversial shooting incident in which more than 120 rounds were fired at a vehicle driven by an unarmed suspect, Sheriff Lee Baca announced Thursday.
The 13 deputies will face punishments ranging from written reprimands to 15-day suspensions, Baca said.
During the May 9 incident, a suspect led police on a 12-minute chase through Compton, considered one of the more dangerous cities in Southern California.
The chase ended when officers surrounded the vehicle and opened fire. The driver, 44-year-old Winston Hayes, was hit four times but survived.
One deputy was also wounded, Baca has said, possibly by so-called friendly fire.
Some people who live nearby reported their homes were hit by bullets as well.
Deputies later found that Hayes, who has an arrest record for narcotics and assault, was unarmed.
A. These seem like very light 'punishments.'
B. This sounds like a serious, serious lack of both training and judgment. A drunken blind gnome could fire 120 shots at a man-sized target and score 4 hits. People who carry a gun for a living should be able to do much better. They should also understand when, where and how to fire. At a moving, unarmed car in a residential neighborhood, except in the most exceptional of circumstances, should not be one of them.