Two Torrance police officers face voluntary manslaughter charges in the 2018 shooting death of a Black man sitting in a reportedly stolen car even though an earlier investigation by the previous district attorney cleared the police of any wrongdoing.
The charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 11 years in prison, were contained in a grand jury indictment released Monday, April 17, against Officer Matthew Concannon and former Officer Anthony Chavez. Both pleaded not guilty to the shooting of 23-year-old Christopher DeAndre Mitchell, who was killed while sitting in the vehicle with a modified air rifle between his legs.
Mitchell’s death prompted widespread protests in the community by Black Lives Matter activists and an investigation in 2019 by then-District Attorney Jackie Lacey. Her successor, George Gascon, reopened the probe and appointed Lawrence Middleton as a special prosecutor.
At a Monday news conference, Gascon declined to answer questions about whether the revived investigation found any new evidence, saying only, “I question whether the officers were able to see the gun before the shooting.”
Gascon also said the charges would not bring back Mitchell, but may offer a measure of justice to his family.
Mitchell’s mother, Sherlyn Haynes, said at the news conference that she looked forward to the court process and ultimately seeing the two officers in jail.
“They murdered my son within 15 seconds, didn’t give him no chance, no chance at all,” Haynes said.
Attorneys for Concannon and Chavez said the prosecution was politically motivated and an abuse of prosecutorial power.
“Our client was formally cleared of all wrongdoing in 2019. This was after a meticulous and thorough investigation conducted by the LADA’s Office,” said Lisa Houle, Concannon’s attorney, in a written statement. “There is outrage today among many who participated in that process and continue to believe strongly in our client’s innocence.”
Tom Yu,…
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