LASD ambush shooter manhunt ends after police announce they’ve got him

Today, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva along with District attorney Jackie Lacey and Homicide Captain Kent Wegner announced that the person who Ambushed and shot two LA county sheriffs offices while they were sitting in their car has been apprehended and has been charged.

Sherriff Alex Villanueva stated that “On September 12^th, we saw the worst of humanity. A cowardly act where a suspect ambushed, and shot, attempted to kill two of our deputies” he went on to talk about the moments after the ambush in which bystanders and protestors cheered the Ambush and voiced their wishes that the deputies should succumb to their injuries.

Sherriff Villanueva then went on to say that the worst of humanity was followed by the best of humanity and that the outpouring of support from across the nation was heartfelt and appreciated.

District attorney Jackie Lacey announced the charges and she also stated, “They became a victim of a violent crime for one reason, they were doing their job, and they were wearing a badge.”

Deonte Lee Murry, 36-year-old black male from Compton was named as the individual that will be arraigned today in Compton for two counts of willful, deliberate, and premeditated attempted murder of a peace officer as well as unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and faces life in prison. This is in addition to the charges that he was already facing after he was taken into custody on September 15^th after a police chase in which the officers were attempting to take him into custody for attempted murder and carjacking.

Murry was arrested on September 15^th after he was identified as a carjacking suspect from a violent carjacking of a black Mercedes Benz on September the 1^st in which the driver and owner of the Mercedes Benz was shot in the leg with a high powered rifle. Officials stated that video from the area of the police ambush showed the black Mercedes and that the photo of the carjacking suspect resembled the description of the shooter who ambushed the officers so they believed it might be possible that the two crimes were connected.

During the car chase on the 15^th, Murray tossed a handgun out of the window and it was recovered by police. The gun matched the caliber that was used in the ambush and later it was confirmed through ballistic tests as the gun used and forensic testing linked the gun to Murray.

Murray has a criminal history that includes felony drug possession, two convictions for possession of a firearm by a felon, burglary, receiving of stolen goods and terroristic threats.

When asked by a reporter at the news conference what a possible motive was in this case, Homicide Captain Kent Wegener stated, “other than the fact that he hates police officers and he wants them dead, not specifically.”