San Bernardino man gets 10 years in prison for fatally punching a sheriff’s deputy
Surveillance video shows an altercation that fatally injured a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy after a minor traffic collision on Sunday.
A San Bernardino man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after fatally striking a sheriff’s deputy during a curbside confrontation over a fender-bender.
Alonzo Leron Smith, 31, pleaded no contest in December to voluntary manslaughter and other felony charges and was sentenced Friday in the death of Deputy Lawrence “Larry” Falce, 70, who had worked for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department for 36 years.
On Dec. 31, 2017, Smith was driving behind Falce when the off-duty deputy came to an abrupt stop to avoid hitting dogs that were crossing the street, police said. The stop caused Smith to rear-end the deputy.
A minute-long video recorded by a nearby store’s security camera shows the two men stopping by the curb and getting out of their cars. They begin talking, and then Smith punches Falce in the face.
Falce falls forward onto the pavement, the video shows.
The veteran lawman never regained consciousness and died two days later after being taken off life support, authorities said.
Smith admitted he was a gang member who had previously served time in prison for selling marijuana, according to prosecutor Mike Ramos.
In an emotional news conference following Falce’s death, Ramos called Smith a “career criminal” and said: “This person needs to spend the rest of his life in prison. I am sick … of having to deal with these people, especially when they take the life of one of our community members.”
Falce had served in the Army and before his death had led a search and rescue team, sheriff’s officials said. He was the oldest member of the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, said spokeswoman Cindy Bachman.
“Our Central Station employees saw Larry as the deputy who always went the extra mile,” Sheriff John McMahon said in a statement last year. “Larry had a heart of gold and loved to help others, but he hated any spotlight or recognition.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com
Twitter: @r_valejandra
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