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LA County Sheriffs Shoot and Kill Hostage
By Robert Farago on April 10, 2014
“John Winkler, 30, was one of three men being held and attacked by a 27-year-old man with a knife at an apartment on Monday night,” reuters.com reports. “He and another man ran out of the apartment to get away, but sheriff’s deputies called to the scene thought he was the assailant and shot him, the Sheriff’s department said. Here’s how it went down, according to the County Sheriffs’ statement . . .
“The apartment door suddenly opened and a male victim came rushing out,” the department said. “He was covered in blood and bleeding profusely from the neck. Simultaneously, victim Winkler ran out of the door, lunging at the back of the fleeing victim.”
Both men ran directly at the deputies, the statement said.
“Believing Winkler was the assailant and the assault was ongoing and he would attack the entry team, three deputies fired their duty weapons at him.”
The deputies then heard sounds of a fight from the apartment and went inside to find the attacker, identified as Alexander McDonald, assaulting another person.
McDonald, the roommate of one of the victims, was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder and torture. Winkler was taken to a hospital, where he later died, the sheriff’s department said.
Somehow I thinks there’s more to this story than meets the eye; especially as the Sheriffs Department claims the victim was a threat to the SWAT team, rather than the bad guy. Look for another big police payout (e.g. the Dorner negligent discharges), a slap on the wrist and business as usual.
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