Video: Sheriff's Deputy Kills Hostage During Standoff With Parolee In Los Angeles

 

PICO RIVERA, Calif. (AP) — A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy accidentally shot and killed a man during a gunfight with a wanted parolee who invaded the man's house and took his wife hostage, authorities said Saturday.

The deputy mistook Frank Mendoza, 54, for the parolee during an 8-hour standoff that ended with SWAT officers storming his home in the suburb of Pico Rivera to rescue his wife and kill the suspect, said William McSweeney, chief of the sheriff's detective division.

"This incident was beyond tragic, and all of law enforcement grieves with the Mendoza family," McSweeney said. "We have made personal contact with the family, and have expressed our regret and sadness over these events."

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Mendoza's wife was not harmed during the standoff, and no deputies were injured.

McSweeney said a SWAT team stormed the house after hostage negotiators failed to convince 

Ramirez to release his hostage and surrender.

He said every aspect of the standoff will be assessed by investigators for compliance with the law and department policy.

"Every deputy I've ever worked with tries to do the best job in circumstances like this," McSweeney said. "They unfold fast, they're extremely dangerous, you don't have all the information and you're making decisions about the information that you do have in one or two seconds."

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