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Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Emmanuel Perez-Perez testified in court about the ambush he and his partner experienced in September 2020. The trial is for Deonte Lee Murray, who is accused of multiple shootings and other charges in Compton. Prosecutors believe Murray sought revenge against deputies. Perez-Perez described being shot in multiple areas and the injuries he sustained. His partner, Deputy Claudia Apolinar, also testified about her injuries. The shooting and its aftermath were captured on surveillance footage. The trial is expected to continue for another week. Nathaniel Percy reported
Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Emmanuel Perez-Perez and his partner were preparing to depart from the Metro Blue (A) Line’s Compton Station on September 12, 2020, when they were suddenly confronted with the sound of gunfire. Recalling the harrowing incident in Compton Superior Court on August 9, Perez-Perez vividly described how he heard four shots before everything went black. This testimony came during the trial of Deonte Lee Murray, who stands accused of multiple crimes, including attempted murder, robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon, related to a series of shootings in Compton in September 2020.
According to prosecutors, Murray allegedly shot a man in the leg and stole his black Mercedes-Benz sedan on September 1, 2020. Then, on September 10, 2020, after learning that his best friend had been fatally shot by deputies during a search warrant operation, Murray allegedly engaged in another pair of shootings while driving the stolen vehicle. On that day, Murray is said to have shot a man, whom he mistook for a detective, as the man sat in his SUV outside the Compton Courthouse.
Two days later, Murray allegedly approached a sheriff’s SUV carrying the two deputies and opened fire through the passenger window. Although Murray was apprehended two days after the incident, he managed to lead deputies on a pursuit and hide in a Lynwood neighborhood for nine hours. During the pursuit, Murray discarded a “ghost” gun, which was determined to be the weapon used in the shooting of the deputies. Prosecutors argue that Murray sought revenge against the deputies, believing they had unjustifiably killed his best friend.
Surveillance footage presented in court shows a man prosecutors identify as Murray approaching the deputies’ SUV from behind, turning toward the passenger door, and then firing a weapon. The man is then seen fleeing from the scene. Deputy Perez-Perez, who was shot during the incident, testified that he saw someone running away after he was wounded.
Perez-Perez, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds including his forehead, right bicep, right arm, and right hand, stated that he has not been able to return to work due to the injuries to his arm and hand. He described the loss of feeling in the back of his right hand and the difficulty he experiences in maneuvering it in the morning. Perez-Perez underwent two surgeries on his hand and two on his elbow.
After exiting the SUV, Perez-Perez noticed blood on his arm and felt blood on his forehead as he approached his partner, Deputy Claudia Apolinar. Apolinar was bleeding from her face and struggling to communicate through her radio. Perez-Perez attempted to use his radio for assistance but found that the button had been damaged. He then tried to apply a tourniquet to his arm but asked Apolinar for help. While she assisted with the tourniquet, he used her radio instead.
Apolinar, who testified on the first day of the trial, stated during cross-examination that she did not witness the shooter or observe anyone running away. As a result of the shooting, Apolinar suffered broken bones in both forearms, a shattered jaw, and a nearly severed tongue that required stitching.
The entire incident, as well as its aftermath, was captured by surveillance cameras. The footage shows Apolinar aiding Perez-Perez in applying a tourniquet. Two minutes after the shooting, both injured deputies rushed toward other sheriff’s SUVs that had responded to the scene. They were then transported to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood.
The trial is expected to continue into the following week..
