Trial begins for LASD deputy charged with manslaughter for on-duty fatal shooting in Norwalk

LOS ANGELES — A authoritative told jurors Wednesday that a Los Angeles County sheriff’s lawman fatally changeable an unarmed man who posed nary menace astir six years agone astatine a Norwalk state station, portion a defence lawyer said the grounds volition lone enactment a verdict of acquittal for his client.

Luke Liu, present 42, is charged with voluntary manslaughter for the on-duty, Feb. 24, 2016, shooting of Francisco Garcia astatine a 7-Eleven astatine 10962 Alondra Blvd.

The 26-year-old antheral tried to thrust distant astatine what authorities person said was astir 5 mph, was struck by 4 of the 7 shots Liu fired — including 2 to the little backmost and 1 each to the enarthrosis country and genu — and crashed into a motion astatine the station.

Liu pulled the antheral from the conveyance aft the shooting and performed CPR connected him earlier paramedics arrived, according to witnesses called during a May 2019 proceeding successful which Liu was ordered to basal trial.

Garcia died astatine a hospital.

Deputy District Attorney Chris Baker told the downtown Los Angeles assemblage successful his opening connection that Garcia “didn’t merit to die” but that Liu “shot him (Garcia) implicit and implicit again” aft approaching the achromatic 1993 Acura Integra that had been reported arsenic stolen and was stopped astatine a state presumption to capable up the car.

Garcia was unarmed, “posed nary menace to anyone” and had obscurity to spell but into rush-hour postulation that was “stopped dead,” the authoritative said, adding that helium believed the grounds would amusement that it was “unreasonable for the suspect to sprout Garcia.”

The lawman territory lawyer said the “evidence volition not beryllium capable to explicate wherefore the suspect shot” Garcia, and that Liu subsequently provided “several antithetic explanations,” including a assertion that helium had been struck by the car.

A doc who examined Liu aft helium was taken to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center saw nary bruising oregon injuries of immoderate kind, Baker told jurors.

Liu’s attorney, Michael D. Schwartz, countered that what jurors had seen successful the prosecutor’s opening connection was “not thing adjacent to each the evidence.”

“You’re going to person to determine what really happened,” helium said, referring to surveillance videos showing antithetic angles of portions of the deputy’s enactment with Garcia.

The defence lawyer urged jurors to “keep an unfastened mind,” telling them, “Things whitethorn not beryllium what they look astatine first.”

Schwartz told the assemblage that the defence is assured that the “one verdict that the grounds volition support” is “not guilty.”

The lawsuit was filed against Liu successful December 2018, marking the archetypal prosecution of its benignant successful the region successful astir 2 decades astatine the time.

In a connection released soon aft Liu was charged, then-Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said, “We judge the officer’s usage of deadly unit was unjustified and unreasonable nether the circumstances.”

Sheriff’s officials said soon aft the shooting that the lawman was successful fearfulness for his life. They said past that the lawman suffered insignificant injuries erstwhile helium was struck by the vehicle.

Liu, a much than 10-year seasoned who was assigned to the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station, was placed connected administrative permission successful December 2018. His existent presumption with the section was not instantly available.

Los Angeles County agreed successful 2018 to wage Garcia’s household $1.75 cardinal to settee a wrongful-death lawsuit.