Aug 10, 2021 - Politics & Policy

LAPD officer who shot disabled man charged with manslaughter

Ivana Saric

A costco storefront. — Photo: Tim Boyle/Getty Images

The California attorney general’s office announced Monday that it filed manslaughter and assault charges against a former Los Angeles police officer who shot and killed a man with an intellectual disability at a Costco in 2019.

Driving the news: Although the officer, Salvador Sanchez, was fired from the LAPD in 2019, a grand jury at the time chose not to criminally indict him, the Washington Post reports.

State of play: Sanchez, holding his baby, was off-duty and standing in line for food samples at the Costco when Kenneth French, a man with an intellectual disability, allegedly slapped Sanchez's head, per the Post.

Sanchez then reportedly pulled out his gun and fired around 10 shots in the grocery store, killing French and seriously injuring his parents, Russell and Paola French. He now faces three felony charges.

The big picture: Attorney General Rob Bonta said the fresh charges were a matter of pursuing justice.

"Ultimately, any loss of life is a tragedy and being licensed to carry a gun doesn’t mean you're not accountable for how you use it. No matter who you are, nobody is above the law," Bonta said.

Sanchez was arrested Monday morning in Riverside County, California, and his bail was set at $155,000, according to the LA Times.

David Winslow, a lawyer for Sanchez, called the charges a "political stunt," per the LA Times.

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LAPD officer who shot disabled man charged with manslaughter

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