The trial of former LAPD officer Salvador Alejandro Sanchez heated up with closing arguments, where he stands accused of fatally shooting a developmentally disabled man and injuring his parents at a Corona Costco in 2019, as reported by City News Service. The ex-officer, who was off-duty during the altercation, faces charges of voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, along with accusations of using a firearm and causing great bodily harm.
During the trial, Deputy Attorney General Michael Murphy argued that Sanchez made a snap decision when he shot 32-year-old Kenneth French, who was unarmed and retreating, "This did not need to happen for self protection or to defend his son and it shouldn't have happened," Murphy implored, focusing on the expectation of responsibility that comes with carrying a deadly weapon into public spaces, according to the City News Service report. Meanwhile, Sanchez's defense led by Michael Schwartz indicated the former officer was acting in self-defense, protecting his child during a moment of perceived danger, wherein moments to affirm if French was indeed armed could have meant the difference between life and death.
Amidst this defense, San Gabriel Valley Tribune highlighted Murphy's claim that Sanchez built a false narrative post rationalizing the incident to skirt potential charges, citing video statements that showed inconsistencies in Sanchez's recounting of events. His immediate aftermath report to the police omitted mention of a gun, which came only in a later account two months after the shooting.
Schwartz contested the prosecutor's arguments, pointing out that "If the danger was real, meaning Ken French had a gun, and you take time to confirm it, you’re dead" he said, challenging the expectation that Sanchez should have assessed the threat level more carefully when life and limb seemed on the line, as per the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. This trial follows previous adjudications where a Los Angeles jury, in November 2021, resolved in favor of the French family in a civil lawsuit against the department, Sanchez, and the city for $17 million, stemming from allegations of negligence and civil rights violations, the incident has been under scrutiny since the occurrence garnered attention and brought forward concerns regarding police use of force, especially off-duty.
