Off-Duty Officer Involved in Shooting

Los Angeles: An off-duty LAPD officer was involved in a shooting in an unincorporated area of Lake Elsinore.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, on Monday, August 25, 2008, at around 3:45 p.m., Police Officer Antonio Mendez, 2 years with the Department, was involved in a traffic collision with a man driving a gray Toyota Tundra.  The traffic collision took place on the northbound I-15 freeway near Indian Truck Trail. After the impact, the Toyota Tundra continued to accelerate at a high rate of speed as Mendez followed.  The Toyota exited the freeway at Dos Lagos Drive and pulled into a parking lot at Temescal Canyon Road.  Both drivers exited their vehicle and a verbal confrontation ensued.  Mendez attempted to detain the suspect and there was an officer involved shooting.  A single round was fired striking the Toyota’s driver in the upper body.

Officer Mendez is currently assigned to the Office of Operations.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is handling the investigation. The Los Angeles Police Department, Force Investigation Division is handling the Administrative Investigation and the California Highway Patrol is handling all traffic related investigations.

Comments

[Ed O'Shea]

I'm glad Officer Mendez is ok.

[ernie g]

all over a misd Hit and run, probably with no one hurt. Good one!

[Marc]

This officer took off in his Hummer at speeds of 100 mph with his baby in back in order to pursue this guy. He put everyone's life in jeopardy including the baby's over a mere traffic collision. I'm sure Riverside will clear their brother officer, and other geniuses will be glad that one more "criminal" is dead. Please hire some folks with good judgment.

[J]

Office of Operations with 2 years on? This officer should be working the field; Leave OO for officers who are on their way out or need a break. That's the problem letting these 2 and 3 year wonders working inside. Go back to flipping burgers boot.

[kim]

There is no Dos Lagos Drive exit off the freeway. Just wanted to clear that up! It must have been Weirck.

[WJ]

This OFF-DUTY officer should be charged with reckless driving and manslaughter.

His Hummer does not have lights or sirens to indicate a pursuit.

Did he even announce he was an officer when he pulled out his weapon?

Why did he not just document the license plate number instead of getting into a verbal confrontation with the suspect?

One life ended because of an rookie officer. Police officers are NOT above the law.

[fedup]

CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Tuesday, August 26, 2024

CORONA, Calif. — An off-duty Los Angeles police officer has killed a man who allegedly tried to snatch the officer's toddler out of his vehicle in Corona.

The Los Angeles Times reports the officer and an unidentified driver got into a minor traffic accident Monday.

As the two exchanged information, a male passenger from the other vehicle allegedly tried to grab the officer's 1-year-old child from his car. The officer shot the man.

No other details were immediately available.

[Roscoe]

These OO Coppers are mostly brand new P2s working with each other on crime suppression details. Many get satellite black and white patrol cars. The ones I've seen walking around my division act with a certain degree of arrogance, which is undeserved.

I think that some of them haven't developed the judgment that they would get when working with more seasoned officers.

This is what you get though when you choose quantity over quality.

[gus chacon]

This guy should be filed on , the very least fired. As police officers your suppose to have good judgement and not act like the thugs we chase on a daily basis.. Oh yea, why put your kid in jeopardy, thats cop 101....

[gus chacon]

This guy should be filed on , the very least fired. As police officers your suppose to have good judgement and not act like the thugs we chase on a daily basis.. Oh yea, why put your kid in jeopardy, thats cop 101....

[415M]

We are all human beings and we all do stupid stuff sometimes. A child's safety should be more important than a damaged Hummer. It takes great self control to gauge the situation and make the right choice. I am glad the officer's child is OK.

[Bob]

I hate to pass judgement on someone if I haven't experienced the same scenario personally. When you're down and all the media is against you you'd hope that other officers wouldn't feed on gossip like high schoolers. But the LAPD is just like or even worse than high school. We like to gossip about each other and walk around like we're all tough. Put a bunch of type A's in a room and you get a fight.

I like to think that more cops have good judgement but it appears that they don't and it costs people their lives and in response to that the officer could possibly lose his job.

[WJ]

Investigation found NO evidence that the deceased tried to snatch the child.

If the off-duty officer made that statement, he's lying. If the reporter "assumed" this, then the reporter should be hung.

Eyewitness stated that the deceased was shot as he made "aggressive" moves toward the officer.

[jim]

I think that you all need to keep your mouths and your opinions to yourselves until the investigation is complete. This is the problem with police work in our country. No one respects the cops anymore therefore all the criminals run rampent and do as they please. So shut up and mind your own business. You were not there so you definitely have no clue as to what occured that day.

[The one who knows..]

Jim said it best....Hang in there p2 dawg.

[Juanita Fanita]

Too many people think they can get away after a hit and run. Good for this officer taking this dirt bag down a peg (or six feet). I will never mess with LAPD.

[Nic]

It is hard to believe that this officer put his child at risk over property. He let his own temper and inability to control himself put HIS child at risk. How is he now going to defend himself against the million dollar law suit that will come? He put himself at jeopardy of losing his home, his future and HIS car too. What could have been taken care of with insurance will now be taken care of in a court of law. He took what amounted to a few scraps on the side of his HUMMER and catapulted that in to a blown out investigation, a waste of tax money. Some how I think if I were to kill someone over a hit and run that I would be waking up in the LA County jail. He took this way too far, and he's the one that is supposed to be in control?

[Centurion]

Jim, I hear what your saying, however, there appears two FACTS in this incident that is causing our fellow Officers to lay into the Victim Officer.

One, it's only a misd property crime, and the Victim Officer decided to follow the suspect at a high rate of speed.

Two, the victim Officer placed his son in danger.

At the end, I believe the shooting will be justified, however, the Admin part of it with the tactics will not look good.

[Curtis Lemansky]

Everyone should delay their judgment until all facts are in and the investigation is complete. Including other officers. It's amazing how everyone, especially you salty P-2s and P-3s, complain about being judged by the command staff, but how quick you are to do it to another officer! Thank God you guys aren't on UOF review boards. You'd probably rule "out of policy" just because the officer is a boot, and you could have done SOOOOOO much better.

We don't know how fast Mendez was driving to catch the driver. We don't know much. Maybe he followed the guy to exchange info, and the guy went ballistic or something. Point is: YOU DON'T KNOW.

Let it be....maybe his actions were criminal, maybe just bad tactics and judgment, or maybe, just maybe, he did the right thing.

[CAN]

The only danger was Day hitting officer Mendez, which could have been fatal, and then racing off.

No, you all weren't there and you need to reserve JUDGEMENT.
Stop bashing the guy.

[DRobs]

It is amazing how so many people who know nothing about this case are experts on what happened out there. Anyone who has ever been involved in a critical incident, then read news accounts of it, should know how inaccurate they can be. Sounds like a lot of rookies posting here.

[anybody]

To carry a weapon dose not mean that you have to be a cop,so lets just take the job away, your butt would have been aressted that day for what he did. I don,t understand why dosen,t everbody want to be a cop, just use your job it justify every time you want to break the law.But word to the wise cops go to prison too.What you do in the dark will surely come to the lite.

[Janice Day]

I am the sister of Robert S. Day...I have read and listened to alot of different peoples opinions of this situation. I am a nurse that sees daily the end results of car accidents do to drunk driving as well as speeding...I think it's a waste that this young mans life is now touched by this sad situation....We have lost but so has his family .This is a lose...lose situation for both families...The question bears answering...What would the average reasonable person with his level of training as well as education do faced with the same situation...Hmmm by the looks of your comments so far I would say NOT WHAT HE DID...It's good to know that I as a citizen of L.A. county I can still trust and respect the police officers that go out everyday and place their lives in danger. Because I can see for the first time that this so called blue line does become blurred...Thank you

[not on DROP]

all you oldies on DROP or near DROP need to back your fellow officer instead of monday morning quarter backing and reliving the 'old days'. if you weren't there, shut your mouth. if you have opinions voice it in roll call, the weight room or the locker room. but DO NOT go on here, like some junior high teenage girl on myspace and talk smack about another officer for the rest of world to see and laugh. own this department, if you have beef talk to him personally, be a man. even felons understand this rule. there's way too much back stabbing going on.

[Justice0311]

I have worked with this officer. I wasn't there and can not comment. I'm glad he is and his child are doing okay. To you "fellow" officers, especially LAPD brothers, you know how it is to be Monday morning quarterbacked. We LAPD are held to a higher standard and are constanlty in the spotlight. You civilians have no idea what it is to be a cop, much less an LAPD cop. Yes, could-a, would-a should-a but the fact remains, it happened and we were not there. I know plenty OO guys, good bunch of eager officer. Too many P-2's with a year or two over them are hating... Who wouldn't want to NOT take radio calls for a year or two???