Witnesses reported seeing Sanchez reach to the back of his head multiple times to look for blood, Hestrin said, noting that Sanchez’s claim of being knocked unconscious was not supported by any evidence. The gunfire prompted chaos inside the warehouse as terrified shoppers rushed to leave while police officers - who also believed there was an active shooter - ran inside. Seconds later, prosecutors said, Sanchez fired 10 rounds from his handgun, believing his life and his son’s life were in immediate danger from an active shooter.įour bullets struck French in the back and shoulder, one struck his mother in the stomach and another hit his father in the back, Corona police Chief George Johnstone said. Sanchez, holding his 1½-year-old son, was standing in line for food samples with his wife when French, without warning or provocation, knocked Sanchez and the child to the ground.
Investigators relied on a single, poor-quality surveillance video and witness testimony - some of which had to be compelled through subpoenas. The encounter in the Corona warehouse store spanned just 3.8 seconds. The officer remains on paid administrative leave as the LAPD conducts an inquiry into whether Sanchez followed department policies. “Sal believed he was shot,” Salzman said. Salzman said Sanchez did not testify before the grand jury but had given evidence to the district attorney’s office regarding his state of mind and subsequent medical records showing a concussion.
Ira Salzman, Sanchez’s lawyer, said his client was “gratified” to hear he won’t be charged. He said he believes prosecutors only took the case to a grand jury to appease the community and may not have pushed hard enough to persuade the jurors. Dale Galipo, an attorney for the French family, said he was “disappointed but not surprised” by the development.
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