I'm I think you show some love, they're gonna they're gonna. You're good, it's well if they're showing that we're gonna have your head in our shot. Let's see come on to the left if you just come straight back a little bit. Yeah, Oh one more foot or if you wanna be a pound and just squeezing through here, you're the best just negative. I promise I'm on it cuz now you're you're in my way. I got a nice shot of your head. Yeah. come back. Come on back. I'm back a little more. Yeah. It's a cheerleader well. How about this you'll be asking questions so that's kinda why I chose well. We're all gonna shoot you so let's say the question is. Can you go stand in front of you because we don't want you in the video He's the rest of us that works for everybody. Move over there. We're doing a presentation. Thank you. I get. Yeah, I'd love to get my ass off too. The rest. Yes. I charge him today. Do we know that? Oh yeah. It's my head in your way, No one. Hello Good morning. Thank you for coming here for a press conference regarding the murder of the two deputies if I can just ask everyone to please silence your phones appreciate that I'm Joe Mendoza, captain of the Sheriff's Information Bureau the The order of speakers will be the Sheriff of Los Angeles County Alex Villanueva, the district attorney of Los Angeles County Jackie Lacey, the captain of Homicide Bureau, Kent Wagner, captain We will then take questions then I will provide a brief. In Spanish, Good morning everyone on September 12 of this year in content, we saw the worst of humanity a cowardly act. We're a suspect ambushed and shot and attempted to kill two of our deputies on the Compton packs this cowardly ambush was followed by bystanders celebrating and cheering the deputies have been shot and that was followed to the hospital in the sanctity. The quiet sanctity of a hospital or protesters cheering and chanting for the deputies to die. These acts and that that day I will not forget it and it represents the worst in humanity and it shocked the whole nation. And that evening, I said we'll find this man and I can report today. we have found our suspect. That works to humanity was followed by the best of humanity our entire department rallied together the patrol deputy set up a containment, did everything they could. They got the deputies to the hospital they took care of them. They secured the crime scene. They called the investigators our homicide bureau rolled up his sleeves and they descended on the scene Our major crimes are operations safe streets Our high-tech task force our crime analyst. The cyber crimes all of these units contributed everybody working together towards a common goal to bring this power to justice and in the community outpouring of support was across the nation both presidential candidates people from all walks of life from the mega wealthy to the common man on the street to young kids in Santa Clara chipping together to run a pop stand to raise money to help the deputies out. And the outpouring of support as you can see from all across the nation was heartfelt and it was appreciated by all it was appreciated by the two deputies their families our department and the entire professional law enforcement so sometimes from the worst comes the best. This is an example of that in the work that was put in by our investigators and working together with the district attorney's office Now it was amazing cuz now just a. Later, September 30th, we're gonna report on those results that we have a suspect in custody and justice will be served so with that I will introduce uh Jacqui Lacey District Attorney of Los Angeles County. Thank you sheriff being nueva Good morning First, I would like to send my my best wishes the two deputies who's lives have been changed forever by these cowardly acts they became victims of a violent crime for one reason they were doing their job and they were wearing a badge These two people have committed their lives to protecting our community and for their service and sacrifice. I wanna thank them and their families now. it's our turn. To seek justice on their behalf this morning, my office filed attempted murder charges against Deonte Lee Murray in the shooting of these two deputies as you you the deputies were seated in their patrol car outside a Compton train station when they were ambushed and shot at close range. What you may not know is that Deputy district attorneys assigned to the crimes against peace Officers division roll. To the scene that night since that time, we have been working alongside detective from the Sheriff's Department to identify the perpetrator and filed this criminal charges. We believe the evidence in this case is strong and supports our filing decision. We've all all seen shocking surveillance video of the shooting and the heroic actions of the wounded female deputy as she drags her partner to safety. That video, plus other compelling forensic evidence are the basis for this prosecution today, My office charged Dionte Murray with two felony counts of willful, deliberate and premeditated attempted murder of a peace officer. Murray was arrested 2 weeks ago and charged in connection with a carjacking of a man driving a Mercedes Benz in Compton and he was charged with also shooting the driver of that Mercedes he. Is attempted murder carjacking, robbery and assault charges in that incident now the criminal complaint in the Carjacking case was amended earlier today the new attempted murder charges have been added to that case the defendant is expected to be arraigned on the new charges at today in Compton in the Compton Courthouse if convicted as charged Deonte Murray faces a maximum sense of life in the state prison now before. I wanna thank Alex Villa, Nueva and his team for their hard hard work and to investigating and solving this senseless crime. Too often we take for granted the inherent danger present each and every time a law enforcement officer reports for work. I also wanna thank the deputy district attorneys in my office who have reviewed the evidence in this case and determine what charges should be filed They are part of a talented and amazing office of prosecutors who takes seriously their commitment to public safety and our relentless. Pursuit of justice finding my thoughts and prayers continue to be with the deputies and their families as they recover from their injuries. Now, I have the privilege of introducing captain Kent Wagner from the homicide Bureau of the Sheriff's Department. Good morning on Saturday, September 12th of 2022 deputies assigned to our Transit Services Bureau. We shot during an ambush while parked in their patrol vehicle just north of the Compton blue line packs as detailed in a briefing just hours after the attempted murder of our deputies, the lone male gunman ran from the scene and made his escape in a black four-door sedan Sheriff's homicide detectives responded to process the crime scene locate and interview. And collect evidence of the crime homicide detectives were joined by detectives from Operation Safe Streets, Major Crime Bureau and our High-tech Task force within hours investigators received and followed numerous leads obtained from a variety of sources through the review of video and witness statements. Investigators determined that the armed suspect drove from the scene of the attack in a black Mercedes Benz sedan. The hours that followed investigators learned that on September 1st, 2020 11 days prior to the attempted murder murder of the TSP deputies a carjacking occurred on Bradford Avenue in the city of Compton during that crime, The suspect shot the victim in the leg with a high-powered rifle and stole his vehicle. The vehicle stolen during that crime was a black Mercedes Benz sedan and the suspect was a male black adult. The case of. Carjacking was investigated a suspect was subsequently identified and an arrest warrant was obtained for him. Deonte Lee Murray, a 36 year old male black The arrest warrant, was her carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon for shooting the vehicle's owner during the robbery the carjacking suspects photograph when compared to the suspect's image in the surveillance video of the attempted murder strengthen the possibility that he was involved. Resources were deployed to locate and arrest the carjacking suspect surveillance deputies from our major crime bureau and operations Safe streets were provided with felony arrest warrant for the suspect and dispatched to locations associated with that suspect on Tuesday, September 15th at approximately 1130 in the morning units from our major crimes Bureau Surveillance Apprehension team located the suspect and attempted to stop him in a vehicle. The suspect fled. 2006 Toyota Solara, which major crimes detectives pursued the suspect fled in his vehicle and as additional deputies in radio cars and sheriff's Aero joined the pursuit. During that pursuit, the suspect through a pistol from his car that pistol was recovered and held his evidence The pursuit lasted until the suspect abandoned his car and fled on foot near the 3100 block of Carlin Avenue in the city of Lynwood multiple deputies responded and established an area containment at approximately 9:50 PM The suspect was located hiding in bushes within that containment. With the assistance of Sheriff's K nine, he was subsequently detained and arrested for the carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon warrant. Additionally, the Black Mercedes Benz sedan carjacked when the victim was shot on September 1st was located a short distance from the containment. It was recovered and held as evidence that car was subsequently searched and for and processed for forensic by homicide detectives working with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Crime Lab charge. Carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon were filed with hardcore deputies of the district attorney's office at Compton Court. In today's following the forensic firearms report was completed and published by the Sheriff's Department Crime Lab this compared ballistic evidence from the scene of the attempted murder on the deputies to the pistol, which was discarded by suspect Murray during the pursuit, it was determined through ballistic comparison that the pistol recovered was the pistol used to shoot the transit services deputies Additionally, that pistol was conclusively linked through forensic testing to suspect. Murray. The firearm and evidence is described as an 80% a ghost gun, a forty caliber pistol loaded with eight rounds five rounds short of its full capacity. There were five rounds fired at the deputies. Since then, investigators have collected dozens of video clips from throughout the vicinity around the time of the attempted murder of the deputies These clips were reviewed by investigators and the High-tech task Force detectives many of these video clips document the suspects travels prior to the shooting during the assault and through the time that the Mercedes Benz was abandoned in the city of Lynwood criminals from the Sheriff's Department Crime Lab continue the forensic testing of evidence collected from the involved vehicles and additional evidence. The scenes As witnesses are identified, interviews are being conducted as a part of these interviews photographic lineups may be conducted involving the suspect's image in consideration of the ongoing investigation. We are not yet releasing photographs of the suspect, the court of record in the carjacking assault with a deadly weapon case has ordered that the suspect's photograph not be released and we will comply with that today. Hom. Detectives are filing charges against Thirty-six-year-old Deonte Murray with the crimes against peace Officers section of the District attorney's office, Deonte Murray is a Compton resident with a criminal history, which includes felony convictions for sales and possession of narcotics to separate convictions for firearms. Possession by a felon or addict receiving stolen property burglary and terrorist threats Murray is prohibited from from possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and as a. Substance offender registrant At this point, investigators believe that Deonte Murray acted alone in the attempted murder of two Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies and the investigation is ongoing one point of clarification at the time of the arrest of Deonte Murray on September 15th 2020 following the vehicle pursuit. We had no evidence that he was responsible for the assault on our deputies, other than that previously stated today we knew that he was a violent offender. He was accused of stealing a black Mercedes Benz and lived in the area. however. Was insufficient evidence to support an arrest, much less a criminal filing for the charge of attempted murder on a peace officer and to label him in the media as the person responsible. Additionally, bringing the public focus on him at that point of the investigation may have influenced pending witness witness interviews and further compromise the mission of solving the attempted murder of the deputies as the investigation progressed, we gathered sufficient evidence to substantiate not only the arrest but the filing. Charges in this case and I'll take any questions you know what point the pivotal point in between. The deputy, I mean, do you know what this is the guy you're looking for and you alluded to some timelines there, but what exactly was it? That said? Okay. This is our guy. I can tell you That was pretty powerful when when the gun was thrown from the car, we knew it was a 4040 caliber. so that was one step but then to subsequently get the ballistics report days later, that said that gun was used in the assault on those deputies coupled with days later after that, uh forensic testing which linked him to that gun, that was pretty significant. now I can let me finish this um in addition to that. Been doing interviews we had received an an anonymous information we had unsubstantiated unverified information from the public from the streets That said this is your guy. This is the guy you want, but we can't come out to you all and say that without a doubt, this is our suspect we we have to be more responsible than that, and we have to be able to substantiate it just hearing a third hand hearsay from somebody is not significant. It's not substantial enough to bring that to you. so what that's why we didn't so, in fact. That was an unusual to have you get this kind of information that there. I mean this seems to come. Well, we had a we had a number of people working on it and as the sheriff said, we got a lot of cooperation from the public who called in phone and emailed in tips that they thought would help do we have a motive or why is supposed to be other than the fact that he obviously hates policemen and he want him dead. uh not specifically if I understand why you wouldn't wanna say we definitely have the suspect in custody but the day that. Was made. The Sheriff's Department says this is not the person we're looking for it was we weren't looking for anybody in particular. at that point, we had no name suspect we had nothing we had nothing to tie him to that crime, except you just said the gun and you have strong suspicions. Why leave the media and the public away from that as a possible? okay, so instead of just saying it is possible I understand I understand your your your question, but what you're missing is. When I said that the gun matched both ballistic and forensic that was days later days after his arrest, so we didn't have that and it would have been it would would have been uh you it would have been irresponsible for us to put his name in the in the papers as being the guy we're looking at because that's irrefutable would you have said this is possibly the suspect. I'm waiting for more evidence to come back instead of saying, not the guy and who's gonna hear that and in addition to everybody else that hears it, he's gonna hear it. That doesn't help our investigation, so that's why we did it. So there are there are a number of people who have offered rewards and we have received a great deal of information of people who will likely have some claim to that reward. Remember that the reward for the arrest and the conviction so we're talking this is gonna be some time down the road. There's there's significant information that came in from the public, which we're very grateful for. I'm not gonna comment on interviews of the witness or the suspect Anyone else if you're looking for on this not at this time, the DA said that it's a pre meditated attack. Why what was pre meditated to why did he pick those two concepts of that? That's the question I can't answer. However, I can say that uh video evidence supports that he was in the area uh for a period of time prior to the shooting that night or yes that night, you have evidence of targeting police officers or. Well, specifically intended to beforehand. Uh I don't understand your question other than the fact that he walked up and shot uniform deputies uh you know in their in their car so that that's pretty on her question the premeditation So, as I said we have we, we know he was in the area and and had driven by that location prior to the shooting on several occasions and you talk about why we. Well, the short answer is no, I can't talk about the evidence right now because don't want to prejudice the case uh there is more to the case than the briefing today and uh we wanna make sure that the criminal justice process is pristine in the sense of uh presenting the admissible evidence that we have of these different things but uh what I can say is the lawyer assigned to it has personally briefed me on the details of this case and we're confident that with regard to what. Will be proven in a court of law. We also discuss we didn't know that this was the guy we're looking for at the time of the uh search for the suspects such a massive presence for our day. So at the time uh he was an armed carjacking suspect who had shot somebody and he was on our radar of course on our radar. We're still set up at our command post over there and at the time he was our best lead and what about connections to. That The rock on fire and uh other than this, the suspect may have been from that neighborhood or associated with that neighborhood. We're still looking into that affiliation. uh he is associated with a couple of different gangs who I'm not gonna publicize in this press conference, but yes he has affiliations. This Yeah, he's you think this. So I can't comment on on motive. Make that connection. There's a connection. Are you asking me for the cause? I didn't. I think when I spoke about this, this goes to the overall increase that we've seen on brazen attacks on law enforcement, I think AP them self reported over a 200% increase, comparing this year to last year on a assaults on peace officers. so this is it's part of the environment. We're in right now. it's uh it's scary uh situation in the sense that there are people that have such deep-seated hatred towards law enforcement. They're willing to to just kill unprovoked. is there any definitive? Between the current climate of uh. Police brutality and these two well if you say I don't think you can do any differently about the climate. That's a uh that's a position, but why not come out and you know what this is why not come out at some point today, you know, we're pretty sure that this has nothing to do with any of the reason. We can't go to that again that goes to motive and we're not gonna get into the details on that. it seems like you put it out there to to pull it back. don't need to put it put it back. That is what something I can comment on as a sheriff and I can definitely say that the job is not any less dangerous because of the protest because of these violent acts. If you look at how many uh peace officers were injured in the protest here just here between ourselves, LAPD and other agencies here locally in LA County when you're taking rocks. Lasers uh mortars, it's uh you have to distinguish between the peaceful protest that happened in the thousands right here in this building in front of this building perfectly done everyone followed all the all the rules we provide actually the security so they could be on the streets so I can hit by traffic so we're actually taking care of peaceful protesters, but you go from that extreme or that's not extreme but is the desired state to the state We have. People showed up wearing an NFL here and there you know, and that's not a peaceful protest so this consequences I said this consequences with words and with actions do you do you suspect any gang motivation behind this and see any gang enhancements on the charges? But at this point we've charged uh we have deliberately chosen the charges that we believe we can prove uh as this case progresses and you know in any case of this nature we expect more witnesses. Maybe we'll come forward, maybe more information and If, in fact, we we find to substantiate that this was for the benefit of a gang, then we would amend the charges. What we did here is charge what we had and uh you'll never know what the case like this. we expect um it will get some publicity uh virtue you all being here, but we never know who's gonna come forward but we um we charge what we had is there to be the sheriff of the. This suspect and these. Any of them know each other, you know no no okay. Can we get an update on the video? We'll take one more question and we're gonna go to Spanish next both deputies are recovering they're at home. They still face a lot of uh surgery reconstructive surgery and it's gonna be a lengthy process but fortunately they're doing okay and uh I visited with one of the deputies. I'll see the other one uh this week in the middle of the yes they are aware of the rest. And they're they're happy to know that is that is good for them are expected to go back to work after uh once they completely recovered. Yes, I expect them both to be back at work Sure and how can we get? I understand that you're talking about the timeline? You didn't know for sure but uh the carjacking suspect was the same person, but you've said repeatedly in a very strong indications so when you came out and say no, this is not it. How are we supposed to believe what you say going forward? It's pretty simple when we say things we have to prove them. You can say whatever you want whatever you wanna pay. There's nobody's gonna call you to the carpet for being wrong. We cannot be wrong. We're not in a position of being wrong in this business, so we have to make sure as we move forward and you hear from both the DA and homicide captain We have to prove what we put on paper. We have to prove what we say that's exactly what we're doing and we're cautiously is the incorrect information at first, it seems deliberately misleading when you strongly. Going into it that this may have been the guy now, I know you can't clearly identify for sure that he was, but now this is Infiniti definitively said he wasn't when he suspected in the background. He was one. We're not gonna tell you everything we suspect that we will not be doing our job but misleading us the other direction, but you're not paying attention to what we say we said. this person is arrested The carjacking for the crime of the carjack and that's the evidence we have. That's what he was arrested for. We had no evidence at that time to time to anything else. Do we have suspicions yes and but we're not gonna tell you all of our suspicions because you don't give away the store we have to operate a responsible fashion and like that poor gentleman, who was somehow somebody on social media to put his picture that this is the suspect and his life was turned upside down. so we have to be very careful and responsible for what we put out there sure just real quickly. Thank you. Thank you we're gonna go to Spanish. El Salvador and those are the assasin's los Elvis. the los. Dos Toros Compton and Relays Negro ombre afro americano, El Paso The Para el arresto del sospechoso principal That Elsa la los that's special. And Mercedes-Benz erosion and Manu. De la Oficina del Fiscal del distrito de la Corte de en los días siguientes se determinó que la pistola recuperada