A gunman suspected of having seriously injured two police officers sitting in their service car in Los Angeles has been identified by investigators: he had been behind bars since September 15 for another case and was betrayed by the weapon he was looking for to get rid of upon arrest.
Read also: A man who seriously injured two police officers actively wanted in California
A manhunt was launched in the Los Angeles area on September 12 to find the suspect, described as a
"wild beast"
by US President Donald Trump while his Democratic opponent Joe Biden had denounced an
"unspeakable
attack
" ".
A bonus of $ 100,000 had been offered for any information allowing the location of the assailant, which a surveillance video showed approaching the patrol vehicle on foot and then opening fire in cold blood through the window.
The two officers, a man and a woman, aged 24 and 31 respectively, were seriously hit by several bullets, including in the face, but survived their injuries.
Deonte Lee Murray, 36, with an already heavy criminal record, was officially charged on Wednesday with the double attempted murder, which could earn him life imprisonment if found guilty.
The suspect had already been in detention since his arrest on September 15 for a car theft in which he was accused of injuring the owner of the black Mercedes with a gun.
According to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Services, Deonte Lee Murray was initially charged only with the robbery with violence.
But the ballistic analysis of the pistol which he had tried to get rid of during a chase preceding his arrest made it possible to make the link with the attempted murder of the two police officers, which had occurred three days earlier.
“We knew he was a violent criminal, that he was accused of stealing a black Mercedes-Benz and that he lived nearby. But there was not enough evidence to stop him, ”
said Captain Kent Wegener, in charge of the investigation.
“In addition, drawing the public's attention to him at this stage could have influenced the witnesses who remained to be questioned,”
he said.
Deonte Lee Murray pleaded not guilty on Wednesday when he appeared before a judge, who set his bail at $ 6.1 million.
