Carjacking suspect died as deputies tried to restrain him, officials say
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department acknowledged force was used to restrain a carjacking suspect who lost consciousness and died Tuesday inside a McDonald’s restaurant in East San Gabriel.
The man was identified as 38-year-old Timothy Shannon McMillan, who was a transient, according to Ed Winter, spokesman of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. McMillan’s cause of death has not been determined, and an autopsy is pending.
Deputies confronted McMillan after a violent carjacking in the 8700 block of Garvey Avenue in Rosemead. In that incident, McMillan approached a parking enforcement officer as she was writing a ticket at 5:25 a.m., yelled at her and punched her in the head, the Sheriff’s Department said.
When the 53-year-old parking officer fell to the ground, the man entered her car and drove off. The owner of the parked vehicle saw the attack and notified police.
About 20 minutes later, McMillan drove to a McDonald’s parking lot in the 6900 block of Rosemead Boulevard.
There, he entered the restaurant and screamed at employees, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Deputies received a disturbance call and went to the restaurant, where they found the man.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, McMillan lunged at deputies.
“The suspect’s action resulted in a use of force by the deputies in an attempt to restrain the suspect,” the Sheriff’s Department said. “The suspect was handcuffed, and to prevent him from further kicking, his legs were secured.”
At some point during the confrontation, McMillan became unresponsive.
Shortly after, firefighters arrived at the restaurant and attempted live-saving measures. They were unable to revive the man, and he was pronounced dead.
Four deputies involved in the incident suffered scratches and cuts. The parking officer who was attacked was taken to a hospital and treated for minor head injuries, the Sheriff’s Department said.
The Medical Examiner-Coroner as well as the sheriff’s Homicide and Internal Affairs bureaus are investigating the deputies’ tactics.
“Every aspect of the force is ultimately evaluated by the Sheriff’s Executive Force Review Committee, which decides whether or not there are any policy, tactical, supervisory or training violations or concerns,” the department said.
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