

In an interview after the hearing, Schwartz noted the far lower standard of proof required at preliminary hearings than at trials. Testimony showed that Kenneth French knocked down Sanchez with a hard, unprovoked punch to the back of his head as Sanchez held his young child. Schwartz, cross-examined prosecution witnesses but did not call any witnesses of his own during the three-day hearing in Riverside nor make a closing argument to Diaz. said before setting Sanchez’s re-arraignment for Aug. “After hearing conflicting testimony from witnesses, the court reviewed the law of imperfect self-defense, the court reviewed the law of self-defense, the court reviewed the law of defense of others, the court also reviewed the law on voluntary manslaughter and even of involuntary manslaughter,” Superior Court Judge Samuel Diaz Jr. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Salvador Alejandro Sanchez, 31, was c harged by the state Attorney General’s Office with voluntary manslaughter in the Jdeath of Kenneth French, 32, and two counts of assault with a firearm in the shooting of Russell French, now 61, and Paola French, 62. 15, that there is sufficient evidence that the volley of 10 shots was not fired in self-defense.
Costco corona trial#
Russell and Paola French said they pleaded with Sanchez not to shoot, telling the officer that their son, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was largely nonverbal, had psychiatric trouble.A former Los Angeles police officer whom authorities in Riverside County declined to charge after he fatally shot an intellectually disabled man and wounded his parents at the Costco in Corona will stand trial on charges brought by the state after a judge ruled Monday, Aug. But the victim was not armed, according to police. Tapes from body-worn cameras of Corona police officers who went to the scene captured statements from Sanchez indicating that he initially believed Kenneth French was holding a weapon. No one has disputed that, for reasons still unknown, Kenneth French shoved the off-duty lawman to the ground.Īccording to Sanchez's civil attorney, David Winslow, his client was dazed, and when he saw his son next to him screaming, he "had no choice but to use deadly force." The victims were shopping when they approached a food sample table with sausages, where the defendant was also standing, holding his then-18-month-old son. A Los Angeles jury in November 2021 ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, awarding them $17 million in damages. The French family filed a civil suit against the LAPD, the city of Los Angeles and Sanchez at the end of 2019, alleging negligence, civil rights violations and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. I tried to feel for a pulse, but there was no pulse." Then he appeared to stop bleeding, and there was no more labored breathing. I took his right hand and tried talking to him, but he didn't respond. I stayed with him for five or 10 minutes. There was like a tremor every now and again.

"There was blood coming out of his right ear.

"He appeared to be having difficulty breathing," the witness said. Store employees and other witnesses began to converge on the scene to aid the wounded husband and wife, while Gagnon knelt beside Kenneth French. The witness said that before walking over to check on Kenneth French, he saw the mortally wounded man's mother laying on the floor, pleading, "Help me, help me." Gagnon testified that Russell French moaned, "My son is sick, my son is sick." Gagnon said he checked the wounded individual - later identified as Russell French - to whom the off-duty policeman was motioning, but there was no gun. The person pointing the handgun was Sanchez, according to testimony.
