Los Angeles Sentinel
Inglewood Shooting
Written by Jason Lewis, Sentinel Staff Writer, on 05-22-2008 13:54
Questions still linger in Inglewood from the Mother's Day shooting where
police officers fatally shot 19-year-old Michael Byoune, and injured Larry
White and Christopher Larkins, both 19.
At 1:40 a.m. shots were fired near Rally's Hamburger on Crenshaw and
Manchester. At the time of the shots White's 2004 Honda Accord was parked in
front of Rally Burger. Larkin was at the window of the burger stand ordering
food and Byoune was sitting in the backseat of the car.
When shots were fired the teenagers' reactions was to flee the scene for
their safety. White started to drive south of the burger stand toward
Manchester, and Larkins ran toward the car. As White stopped the car to allow
Larkins to jump in a police cruiser entered the parking lot from the Manchester
entrance, which was where the teenagers were attempting to exit from.
Officer Brian Regan, who has been on the force for 5 1/2 years, and Ramon
Fernandez, who has been on the force for less than a year, heard more gun shots
and thought that their police cruiser was struck.
Officer Regan opened fire on the Honda before Larkin was able to jump
into the back seat. Regan fired while still inside the police cruiser, firing
through the front windshield. Regan then got out of the cruiser, took cover
behind a retaining wall, and continued to fire at the Honda.
Byoune was shot four times in the upper torso and died at the scene.
White was shot in the leg. A 12" steel rod was inserted into his thigh,
and doctors have said that it is possible that his injured leg could end up
shorter than his other leg after it is healed.
Larkin was grazed on the forehead and leg. Larkin yelled from the
backseat "Stop shooting, we're unarmed."
Sixteen holes were found in the Honda, but no weapons were found on the
teenagers.
Conflicting reports have been coming out of the Inglewood police
department. Officers Regan and Fernandez have been placed on paid
administrative leave.
According to Carl Douglas, who is representing the teenagers, the
Inglewood Police Department has acknowledged that Officer Fernandez's gun
accidentally discharged while inside the police cruiser. That could have been
why the officers thought that they were being fired upon.
"This tragedy demonstrates a total breakdown of normal police procedures
concerning the use of deadly force," Douglas said. "Both officers rushed to
judgment assuming the young man running for his own life was in fact connected
with the gunshots. These three young men were not involved in any gangs what so
ever, had not broken any laws and in fact had never been arrested before in
their adult lives."
Douglas has filed a claim for damages on behalf of the teenagers.