LAPD attempted to reverse coroner's verdict
The LAPD attempted to reverse a coroner's verdict which had found them responsible for the shooting death of a 19 month old child.
The Los Angeles Police Department waged an aggressive behind-the-scenes campaign to convince coroner's officials to change their finding that a SWAT officer's bullet killed a 19-month-old girl held hostage by her father three years ago, according to records reviewed by The Times.The intense lobbying effort, which involved one of the department's highest-ranking officials, led to significant friction between the LAPD and coroner's office. It also raises questions about whether the LAPD crossed an ethical line in pushing so hard, some medical and law enforcement experts said.
Ultimately, the LAPD's campaign led nowhere. The coroner has stood firmly behind its conclusions. But the Police Department's unusual attempt to have the case reopened underscores the deep, lasting effect the death of the child, Suzie Peña, has had on the officers involved and on SWAT as a whole.
The SWAT team had apparently returned fire blindly through a wall, knowing that the man firing had taken the child hostage. The coroner found a bullet fired by a SWAT team member in the girl's head.
