LAPD officer fired bullet that killed Trader Joe’s employee during weekend standoff, chief says
Police release dash cam video footage from the July 21 shooting at a Trader Joe’s market in Silver Lake.
The Los Angeles Police Department announced Tuesday that one of its officers fired the bullet that struck and killed a Trader Joe’s employee in the frantic moments they exchanged gunfire with a suspect in an attempted murder case over the weekend.
“On behalf of myself and the rest of the Department, I want to express my deepest condolences and sympathy to her family and everyone that knew her,” Chief Michel Moore said of the store manager, Melyda Corado, 27. “I know that it’s every officer’s worst nightmare to hurt an innocent bystander during a violent engagement. I spoke with the officers this morning — they’re devastated. They were devastated in the immediate aftermath of this event.”
Moore said that the officer who fired the shot that killed Corado was with a partner chasing suspect Gene Atkins, who had allegedly shot his grandmother hours earlier and had repeatedly fired on pursuing officers chasing him through Hollywood and Silver Lake. The LAPD has not identified the officer who fired the shot that killed Corado.
When Atkins crashed his car into a utility pole next to the market, he jumped out and fired at police as he ran into the store, Moore said. The two officers in closest pursuit got out of their car and returned fire. One of those bullets struck Corado, Moore said.
“I’m sorry to report that we’ve now determined through our forensic investigation that one of the officers’ rounds struck Miss Corado as she was exiting the market and was in close proximity to Atkins,” Moore said. “Miss Corado ran back inside the store and collapsed behind the manager’s desk.”
The chief said he would wait until the investigation was completed before determining what consequences, if any, the officers involved in the gun battle would face internally. But on its face, he said, their decision to shoot at Atkins appeared justified.
“I believe it’s what they needed to do in order to defend the people of Los Angeles, defend the people in that store and to defend themselves,” Moore said. “I ask that you place yourself in these two officers’ positions and ask yourself ‘What would you have done?”
Moore noted that he was releasing details of the shooting along with police dashboard and body camera video of the incident earlier than is typical “in order to frame the circumstances that these officers found themselves in.”
The videos show three perspectives of the chaotic car chase through busy Silver Lake on Saturday afternoon.
As the police cruiser speeds after the suspect’s Toyota Camry, the gunman opens fire on the officers and shoots out his rear window.
“Oh … ! Shots fired, shots fired!” a male officer who is driving yells as the vehicles weave in and out of traffic in Silver Lake.
Moments later the female officer in the passenger seat says, “All right, partner, I got my gun out.”
“Do not, do not shoot,” the male officer responds. “Get distance. We are getting distance.”
The dash camera video then shows the suspect’s car swerving left onto Hyperion Avenue toward Trader Joe’s and then crashing head-on into a utility pole.
Seconds later, the police car stops and gunfire can be heard as the suspect springs from his vehicle, holding a weapon, and dashes into the market. It was at about that time that one of the officers’ bullets struck Corado, passing through her arm before entering her body, according to the police chief.
Following the initial exchange of gunfire outside the market, the officers moved to a wall opposite the market. Atkins allegedly shot three more times at police from inside, striking the wall and a pole near police, Moore said. The sound of rounds hitting a pole and exterior walls can be heard on at least one of the officers’ body camera video.
The incident then turned into a hostage crisis that ended hours later with Atkins’ surrender. No other customers or employees were injured.
Following Moore’s announcement Tuesday morning, Mayor Eric Garcetti released a statement supporting the chief’s choice to release the videos and circumstances of Corado’s death.
“Saturday was a dark day for the family of Melyda Corado, and it is our responsibility to shed light as quickly as possible on what happened,” the statement read. “Melyda’s loved ones are entitled to answers — and Angelenos deserve complete transparency in understanding the full circumstances of her death.
“I met with Melyda’s father on Saturday to share my sorrow over his daughter’s death, and he has my commitment to a thorough investigation and helping the family in any way possible — as they take those first, enormously difficult steps toward coping with the trauma of losing such a vibrant, compassionate young woman who was loved by so many.”
Atkins, 28, faces 31 charges, including one count each of murder, kidnapping, fleeing a pursing peace officer’s vehicle while driving recklessly, grand theft, driving or taking a vehicle without consent, shooting at an occupied vehicle and assault with a firearm. He is also charged with two counts of premeditated attempted murder, four counts of attempted murder of a peace officer, four counts of assault on a peace officer with a semiautomatic firearm, and 13 counts of false imprisonment of a hostage. The counts include special enhancements for allegedly using a gun and causing great bodily injury or death, which can increase Atkins’ sentence if convicted.
During a brief appearance in a downtown courtroom Tuesday, Atkins waived his arraignment until Aug. 14. Dressed in blue jail shirt and pants, Atkins showed little emotion as he stood in the defendant’s box surrounded by several deputies. L.A. County Superior Judge Gustavo Sztraicher ordered Atkins held on $18.75 million bail.
The decision to engage in a firefight at the busy shopping center led some to question the LAPD’s response, while others were quick to praise the officers for risking their lives in an effort to stop Atkins.
Charles “Sid” Heal, a retired L.A. County sheriff’s commander and expert on law enforcement shootings, said the video reflects the realities of the life-and-death decisions officers face when a suspect fires at them in a public place.
“The suspect created the situation and law enforcement inherited it,” Heal said. “The alternative was to surrender the lives of hostages inside the store, plus he could have killed those officers … you can play the scenario over and over again, but nobody is going to have a better option.”
Heal, a former SWAT supervisor, said Atkins could have entered the store and shot those inside.
“People in a case of a tragic loss of life will look for solutions, but sometimes there isn’t one,” Heal said. “The standard is not perfection. As an officer, if you don’t shoot here, you are risking the lives of hostages and your officers. As tragic as this loss is, this isn’t a complex decision.”
“It’s one of those lose-lose situations,” Geoff Alpert, a professor of criminology at the University of South Carolina and an expert on police use of force, told The Times on Sunday. “Unless you can walk away with no one else getting injured or killed, there’s going to be someone criticizing something.”
But some were openly critical of the LAPD’s decision to shoot at Atkins when there were bystanders in the area.
“How are police deciding to open fire in a packed place, in the afternoon, on a Saturday?” asked Jesse Palmer, a 38-year-old neighbor of the slain woman. “It’s not like it’s an empty lot. It’s not like it’s an abandoned warehouse. What sort of protocol is required before you shoot into an area that’s congested and booming with commerce?”
The chaotic series of events that led to the shooting and a subsequent standoff inside the popular Trader Joe’s began hours earlier in South L.A. Police said Atkins had become involved in an argument with his grandmother at their home in the 1600 block of East 32nd Street. The dispute turned bloody and Atkins shot the woman multiple times before forcing his girlfriend into his grandmother’s Toyota Camry, authorities said.
Police used an anti-vehicle theft system to track Atkins to Hollywood hours later, but he fled. He shot at police during the ensuing car chase, shattering the rear window of the Camry, before crashing into a light post on Hyperion Avenue, where the Trader Joe’s is located, according to law enforcement officials.
Atkins fired at officers as he ran toward the store and was injured by a volley of return fire, police said.
In the gun battle, the store’s manager was killed when she stepped into the parking lot.
Corado’s brother, Albert Corado, has been mourning his sister’s death on social media since Saturday.
“I’m sad to say she didn’t make it. My baby sister. My world. I appreciate the retweets and the love. Please respect my family’s privacy as we are still coming to terms with this,” he wrote Saturday night.
He followed that up on Sunday, writing: “I miss my sister. I wish this wasn’t happening. Feels good to be with family, though. My dad is doing his best to keep it together. I am, too. Family is coming to visit from as far away as Australia. #MelydaCorado you were immensely loved.”
On Monday, he expressed appreciation for all the support flooding in for his sister.
“What an amazing night. Went to the memorial for Mely outside of Trader Joe’s in Silverlake. The amount of people who have left flowers and notes and have lit candles is astonishing,” he wrote. “Saw so many of her coworkers and people who came to celebrate my sister’s life.”
The store where Corado worked, meanwhile, remains closed, the company said. It released a new statement Tuesday that read in part:
“We remain heartbroken over the tragic death of Melyda Corado and the trauma our crew members and customers have suffered,” the statement read. “Mely was a valued and beloved crew member. Our sole focus remains on supporting her family and those involved in Saturday’s horrible ordeal in Silver Lake. Out of respect for them, we will not be providing further comment on today’s developments, but do want to again express our appreciation for the overwhelming outpouring of support from customers and crew members across the country.”
UPDATES:
2:30 p.m.: This article was updated with details on Atkins’ appearance in court.
12:15 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from the victim’s brother, a statement from Trader Joe’s and details of the charges against the suspect.
11:40 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Mayor Eric Garcetti and details from police camera footage.
8:50 a.m.: This article was updated with additional comments from Chief Moore.
This article was originally published at 8:15 a.m.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
