Police fatally shoot Marine in California
Cpl. Allan DeVillena II, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, who was fatally shot by California police in Palm Springs, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. At a Monday press conference police defended their actions. / KESQ
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. Police say they had no choice but to shoot and kill a Camp Pendleton Marine after he refused to pull over, drove into one officer, and tried to drive off with another officer hanging halfway out of his car window.
The Marine repeatedly ignored orders to stop after being approached by officers on bike patrol around 2 a.m. Saturday, the Palm Springs Police Department said in a statement Monday.
CBS Affiliate KESQ reports the two officers were investigating yelling inside a parking enclosure, where they recognized an individual from an earlier interaction. When the police asked the suspect to turn off the car, the suspect ignored the orders and began turning the vehicle around, refusing repeated orders to stop.
One officer climbed partially through the passenger side window, attempting to stop the vehicle. The suspect accelerated directly toward the second officer, striking him and continued on with the initial officer suspended from the passenger side window, KESQ reports. The suspect then crashed the vehicle near the exit.
"In the course of these events, fearing for their safety and the safety of others both officers discharged their weapons," police said.
EMTs were called, and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The lone passenger, another Marine, was not injured, authorities said.
Both officers were treated for injuries at a hospital and released. They have been placed on administrative leave while the department investigates.
The Desert Sun identified the Marine who was shot as Cpl. Allan DeVillena II, and said his family contacted the newspaper.
Police said authorities later found a smartphone in the car that was reported stolen by someone whose identification card was found in the Marine's pants pocket.
The lone passenger was arrested for investigation of public intoxication and for an unrelated misdemeanor warrant then released. Police did not release his name.
DeVillena's father, Alan DeVillena, told the newspaper his son and the passenger had gone out to celebrate the 237th birthday of the Marine Corps, which was Saturday.
The father said the family was headed to Palm Springs to find out what had happened after being notified of his son's death by the Marine Corps.
The newspaper reported both Marines were with the 1st Marine Logistics Group based in Camp Pendleton, but the men were stationed at Twentynine Palms.
Marine Corps officials could not be immediately reached for comment Monday when many offices were closed for Veterans Day.
DeVillena said his son served in Afghanistan and was due to finish his four-year enlistment in about two months. He said he planned to attend college.
"He was looking to get into audio engineering," DeVillena told the newspaper. "He wanted to get into recording. He wrote a lot. He had a passion for music."
Popular on CBSNews.com
- Bridge collapse blamed on tractor-trailer 193 Comments
- Washington state bridge collapses 20 Photos
- Best U.S. beaches 2013 10 Photos
- No fatalities in I-5 bridge collapse in NW Wash. 137 Comments
- Boy Scouts approve plan to accept openly gay boys 1016 Comments
- Kansas reporters run for tornado shelter during newscast
- Earthquake, multiple aftershocks jolt Californians
- Clean-up efforts underway in Okla. 29 Photos
And then in "fearing for their lives" both officers discharged their weapons, killing Marine Corporal Allan DeVillena II.
This is utter non-sense. What ******* cop is going to climb into the window of a moving vehicle?? For god's sake, the police put themselves in danger! Why not just jump in front of the moving vehicle and let him run you over? That may slow him down and stop the car too! Wouldn't common sense dictate that these two bicycle cops could have just radioed ahead the license plate number of the fleeing vehicle?
Unfortunately, our current police forces in America are becoming a danger to our local communities. There are way too many incidences identical to this one, where the story ends with their suspect dead from police gunshots. Until proper training is completed, take away their guns.
Usually, victims of police aggression ending in death to the suspect, involves the homeless or drug addicted. But this case is different. This time the police shot and killed an honorable Marine, who has served our country faithfully in Afghanistan.. Perhaps something good can come from his death.. Maybe the public will become outraged and more aware of the insane, cowboy-cop-thugs that our police departments employ all over the country.
Fire these two Palm Springs bike cop idiots, and charge them with homicide. Either that or take away the guns and badges they hide behind, and put them in a locked room with two Marines from Corporal DeVillena's unit...