On February 7, 2013, mother and daughter duo Emma Hernandez, 71, and Margie Carranza, 47 were delivering Los Angeles Times newspapers at around 5:00 AM when officers mistook their light blue Toyota Tacoma pickup truck for a Nissan Titan pickup that Dorner was reportedly driving.
Hernandez was shot twice, in the lower back and in the scapula. Carranza was severely cut by glass shards from broken windows in the hail of bullets.
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck originally admitted the eight officers involved in the shooting violated the department’s deadly force policy, but later changed his mind, allowing them to return to work.
Dorner had killed two citizens and two police officers during a rampage after being fired from his job, which he believed happened because he reported the brutality of a co-worker. Following the killing spree, a manifesto by the former police officer was discovered, detailing his perception of corruption within the department.
“The fear of Dorner was understandable and justified,” a memo from the District Attorney read. “There is no evidence to suggest that the officers did not honestly believe that Dorner was in the vehicle, nor is there evidence to suggest that the officers did not honestly believe they were being fired upon.”
The women sued the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department, and received a $4.2 million settlement.
