The shattered mother of a California cop who was shot and killed alongside a colleague last week has blamed embattled Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon for his death.
El Monte Officer Joseph Santana, 31, and Corporal Michael Paredes, 42, were cut down by gunfire coming from inside a motel room after they responded to a stabbing Tuesday evening.
Santana’s mother, Olga Garcia, ripped Gascon for prioritizing the rights of criminals and fanning a lawless atmosphere that led to her son’s murder.
“He has insane ideas about giving criminals a slap on the hand,” Garcia said. “We need to enforce our laws so more police officers don’t die.”
Gascon gives law breakers “more rights than police officers,” Garcia said.
The man who killed the cops, Justin William Flores, was out on probation for a prior gun rap — and critics argue that he should have been behind bars prior to the double slaying.
He eventually burst out of his motel room to continue the gunfight with police and was killed.
Pressure is ratcheting up on Gascon, who has been accused of prioritizing the defense of criminals and ushering in new levels of disorder in Los Angeles.
Garcia and members of the mourning El Monte Police Department demanded his ouster Friday.
“George Gascón, you do not get to continue to use our streets and our brothers and our sisters in your experiment,” Ron Danison, president of the El Monte Police Officers’ Association, said. “You have failed the public, you have failed these families.”
Reps for Gascon said the probation determination for Flores was consistent with outcomes in similar cases in the past and that he did not have a demonstrated history of violence.
“Our office is committed to providing support for the loved ones of the victims who lost a life,” read a statement from the DA’s office issued Friday.
“We also hope people will stop playing politics with trauma and that we can all get serious about how we prevent serious violence before it begins. We will be working with anyone who is willing to solve these problems.”
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