Mother of slain police officer criticizes LA County DA George Gascon
Fox News correspondent Jeff Paul provides insight on criticism of the Los Angeles County district attorney following a police killing on 'Special Report.'
The mother of a slain Los Angeles police officer is placing blame for her son’s death at the feet of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon and his policies that she says allowed her son’s killer to be out on the streets rather than in jail.
"Gascon is just letting all these criminals out and they just keep doing one crime after the other," Olga Garcia, the mother of slain El Monte Police Officer Joseph Anthony Santana, said. "That guy should have been in jail. If he wouldn’t have been out my son and the other officer would still be here."
"Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón gives criminals more rights than police officers,'' Garcia added. "He has insane ideas about giving criminals a slap (on) the hand. We need death row and three-strikes law to come back. We need to enforce our laws so more police officers don't die.''
Justin William Flores allegedly killed Santana and his partner, Cpl. Michael Domingo Paredes after they responded to a call of a stabbing in El Monte, California on Tuesday afternoon.
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Flores, a gang member, was on probation for a weapons charge after he received a lenient sentence through a plea deal. A Gascon policy allowed Flores to plead no contest to being a felon in possession of a firearm and receive a light sentence despite having a strike on his criminal record already.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon is facing a recall attempt and criticism from various sides over his criminal justice reforms (Robyn Beck / AFP)
Sources within the district attorney's office told Fox News that Flores would have likely been handed a sentence of up to three years in prison if he was prosecuted in February 2021.
Gascon's office told Fox News that Flores didn't have a "documented history of violence" when he was sentenced.
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The city of El Monte announced Corporal Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana were killed in the line of duty. (City of El Monte)
"The sentence he received in the firearm case was consistent with case resolutions for this type of offense given his criminal history and the nature of the offense," the statement says. "At the time the court sentenced him, Mr. Flores did not have a documented history of violence."
Eric Siddall, Vice President of the Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys, told Fox News on Friday that Gascon’s response is "utter nonsense."
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"Maybe it's consistent under his system of justice, but in every other normal prosecutorial agency, that's not what happens," Siddall said. "A felon with a firearm. A gang member with a firearm. A guy caught with dope and ammunition. That guy gets state prison. He doesn't get probation in any real criminal justice system."
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon speaks at a press conference (Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)
Organizers of a campaign to recall Gascon in response to his policies that many believe have led to a surge in crime in Los Angeles say that they have gathered the necessary number of signatures to appear on the ballot in November.
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Gason's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Fox News’ Adam Sabes contributed to this report
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