Los Angeles
A 19-month-old girl being used by her intoxicated father as a shield was killed this week in a shootout with Los Angeles police. The tragedy opened fresh accusations of excessive force against a police department that has been dogged by criticism since the televised beating of Rodney King sparked riots in 1991. Police Chief William Bratton said the toddler’s father, Raul Peña, left officers with no choice when he refused to release the child, then began wildly firing a 9mm pistol. But the child’s mother, Lorena Lopez, said her daughter, Susie Marie, would still be alive if police had let Peña’s relatives talk to him. “He needed to be helped,” Lopez said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What should you be stockpiling for 'World War Three'?In the Spotlight Britons advised to prepare after the EU tells its citizens to have an emergency kit just in case
-
Carnivore diet: why people are eating only meatThe Explainer 'Meatfluencers' are taking social media by storm but experts warn meat-only diets have health consequences
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human bloodUnder the radar Drugging the bugs
