SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The mother of a 22-year-old woman killed in a South Los Angeles shooting earlier this month met with Sheriff Robert Luna Wednesday to discuss the actions of a deputy who witnesses say did little to help the injured woman.
Raejonette Morgan was shot and killed while driving her car near the intersection of Vermont Avenue and the 105 Freeway on-ramp on July 2.
Cellphone video captured several minutes of the shooting aftermath, just minutes after the gunfire ended. It shows Morgan’s white Mercedes stopped on the sidewalk with the driver’s side window and door riddled with bullets.
The woman who shot the video said Morgan was still alive inside the car, motioning for help, but that a sheriff’s deputy first on the scene refused to render first aid to her.
Morgan died two days later on July 4.
A statement released by the sheriff’s department said the deputy was unsure if the person in the car was the shooter or a victim and was calling for backup.
On Wednesday morning, Anginette Morgan, Raejonette’s mother, along with community leaders, sat down face-to-face with Luna and his executive officers to discuss the case.
“I am confident with the sheriff’s department,” said Anginette Morgan. “I know that they are working as hard as they can. I know that it’s going to be a long road, but I do feel like we’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
In a statement, the sheriff’s department wrote in part:
“The Sheriff and Department executives had a very open, transparent, and collaborative meeting where they listened attentively to the family’s concerns and addressed many questions. Having these discussions with community leaders and with the family is very important because it not only strengthens relationships, but also fosters trust in law enforcement.
The Sheriff discussed the ongoing homicide investigation and assured the family the Department was reviewing the entire incident including the Deputy’s response, equipment, training, and tactics to determine if Department policies and procedures were followed.”
The deputy in question has not been named, but is the subject of a critical incident review and has been taken out of the field.
The search for Morgan’s killers is still underway. If you have any information that could help investigators, you’re urged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
