*You probably won’t be surprised to learn that several Los Angeles-area groups are calling for the arrest and prosecution of the police officer who inadvertently shot 14-year-old Valentina Orellana Peralta to death while confronting a suspect inside a North Hollywood Burlington store.
Demonstrators rallied outside of the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters downtown on Sunday, calling for the arrest of Officer William Jones – who was identified by police last week as the officer involved in the shooting.
Najee Ali of Operation Hope told City News Service on Sunday that at a minimum, he would like to see Officer Jones charged with involuntary manslaughter, similar to the charge against former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter, who was convicted in the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright. Potter said she mistook her gun for a Taser.
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As we reported earlier, Valentina Orellana Peralta was with her mother in a dressing room trying on dresses two days before Christmas when she was struck by a police bullet that passed through a wall on the second floor of the Burlington store on Victory Boulevard.
She died in the arms of her mother, who said she and her daughter sat down and hugged when they heard the commotion in the store. The force of the gunshot that struck the teen threw them both to the ground, the girl’s mother said.
Last week, police released body-camera footage and other details of the shooting when officers responded to reports of a man assaulting people, and possibly firing shots, inside the Burlington store.
The demonstrators on Sunday said they want the officer to be charged with involuntary manslaughter.
“This 14-year-old child, who should be with her family today enjoying the holiday … and we demand justice, and the justice we demand is that [L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón] file criminal charges against Officer Jones to hold him accountable for Valentina’s death,” said one demonstrator who spoke out during Sunday’s protest.
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