Ex-Los Angeles Police Charged With Manslaughter After Shooting Mentally Challenged Man

JUST IN: A former Los Angeles police officer was charged with manslaughter after shooting a mentally challenged man two years ago.

The charges filed against the Police identified as California's Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Salvador Sanchez on Monday, Aug. 9. Charges including one count of voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a semiautomatic handgun.

Sanchez was placed under the custody of Riverside County.

Ex-Los Angeles Police's Lawyer on the Arrest

As charges were filed against Sanchez following the 2019 shooting, the lawyer of former Los Angeles police officer, David Winslow, blasted on his client's arrest, calling it a "political stunt."

In a statement, Winslow said that Sanchez's arrest was a "product of politically motivated program" backed by California's attorney general to "prosecute the police officers." The lawyer also contended that his client was not acting as a police officer when attacked and only responded to protect his child.

The recent charges issued to Sanchez came as the Grand Jury in Riverside County declined to give criminal charges in September 2019. The District Attorney's Office underscored that the reason behind the declination was the lack of evidence for criminal prosecution.

The Riverside District Attorney's office emphasized that they would assist the office of California's attorney general. However, the DA stressed that their investigation ended when the grand jury of their county did not find enough cause to move with the case.

Ex-Los Angeles Police Opened Fire: Mentally Challenged Man, Dead, 2 Others Injured

The charges filed against Sanchez stemmed out when the ex-Los Angeles police officer engaged in a shooting incident in a Costco located in Corona.

According to reports, Sanchez was with his son when a man, identified as Kenneth French, 32 years old, suddenly attacked him from behind, knocking the officer to the ground. Sanchez was reported to quickly opened fire after the incident, fatally wounding French and critically wounding the parents of the 32-year-old.

French's parents revealed that the 32-year-old was diagnosed with schizophrenia. KTLA 5 reported that the parents explained the disability of their son when Sanchez identified himself as a police officer.

Before the shooting, surveillance footage revealed that a physical altercation between French and Sanchez happened before the shooting incident. The former police officer was reported to fire at least 10 rounds from a handgun.

In an interview, Sanchez's lawyer, David Winslow, said that the officer grabbed his gun and opened fire because he thought that he was under attack and "believed" that his life, as well as his son's life, was in danger.

Furthermore, he also told investigators that he believed the 32-year-old had a gun when the incident happened. However, French's father pointed out that he begged the police not to shoot, exclaiming that they have no firearms with them.

In the wake of the shooting incident, Los Angeles Police Department pointed out that Sanchez was terminated from his duties in the agency in July of the previous year.

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Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Ex-LAPD Officer Faces Manslaughter Charge in 2019 Fatal Costco Shooting - From KTLA 5