Local News in Brief : 2 Charged in Slaying of Police Officer

A reputed gang member and a 15-year-old girl were charged Wednesday with murder in the fatal shooting of a police officer who was chasing their car after it had allegedly been involved in a drive-by shooting.

Anthony Demetrius Brown, 20, was charged by the district attorney’s office with the Saturday shooting near Inglewood of Officer Daniel Pratt, 30, the first Los Angeles police officer killed in an incident stemming from a gang-related drive-by shooting.

Brown was also charged with a special circumstance allegation of murdering a police officer engaged in the performance of his duties, which would make Brown eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

Brown was also charged with the attempted murder of Pratt’s partner, Officer Veronica DeLao, and with the attempted murders of two reputed rival gang members and a third person who were all shot in the drive-by shooting.

The 15-year-old girl was charged with the same crimes but is not eligible for the death penalty because of her age.

A second man arrested in the incident, Donald Hill, 21, will not be charged in the case at this time because of insufficient evidence, prosecutors said.