Another felon released early from prison shot three police officers in Los Angeles
Zachary Faria
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On Wednesday, three police officers were shot in Los Angeles. In a completely unsurprising turn of events, the suspect accused of shooting them is a career criminal with a felony on his record who was arrested as recently as January.
Jonathan Magana was described by police as a “parolee at large” after shooting three Los Angeles Police Department officers. Magana was later found dead after barricading himself in an apartment. Magana was convicted in 2014 of selling meth, and in 2020, he was convicted of two felony counts of robbery, landing him a four-year prison sentence and one year in county jail.
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Most notably, he was charged in January with battery of a police officer and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, meaning he was out on the street despite those charges and despite the fact that his sentencing in 2020 should have seen him behind bars at least until 2025.
This has become disturbingly common in and around Los Angeles. In June 2022, El Monte Police Department Cpl. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana were shot and killed by a felon who was out on probation. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon had given that convicted felon, who was also a known gang member, just a 20-day jail sentence for illegal possession of a firearm.
In nearby Riverside County, Deputy Isaiah Cordero was shot and killed by a convicted felon during a traffic stop in December 2022. Just two weeks later, Deputy Darnell Calhoun was ambushed and killed while responding to a call. Further north in California, Selma Police Officer Gonzalo Carrasco Jr. was ambushed and killed by another criminal who was released from prison early.
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This is an issue in California, a state that has emboldened criminals by slashing sentencing enhancements for gang members and making it a priority to let criminals out of prison early regardless of their crimes. It is a major issue in Los Angeles in particular, where Gascon has sabotaged the ability of his own prosecutors to keep violent career criminals behind bars. Magana was one such criminal, and Gascon should be the first person answering questions about why he was released before his sentence was completed.
California needs an attitude change, especially down in Los Angeles, when it comes to crime. The police officers who risk their lives every day to keep residents safe deserve better. And, if career criminals are emboldened to attack and even ambush police officers randomly, what does that say for the safety of regular civilians? Democrats such as Gascon are making the state even deadlier, and they have shown no signs of reversing it.