Police Chief, Koreans Discuss Fatal Shooting

Orange Police Chief John R. Robertson told Korean American community leaders Monday that he does not believe the recent officer-involved shooting death of Hong Il Kim had anything to do with the victim’s race.

“I don’t think the minority issue or ethnicity came into this at all. . . . We certainly train our officers on how to deal with the different groups . . . and try to treat all people with dignity and respect,” Robertson told 20 people who attended a meeting requested by the Orange County Korean American Assn.

The one-hour meeting, at the association’s Garden Grove headquarters, was moderated by Rusty Kennedy, executive director of the Orange County Human Relations Commission, at the group’s request.

The Feb. 14 shooting has galvanized the Korean American community and received widespread attention nationwide and in South Korea, where Kim is from.

Kim, 27, was gunned down by police after a high-speed chase that ended in an Orange strip-mall parking lot.

More than a dozen police officers from Westminster, Orange and the California Highway Patrol became involved in the chase at speeds up to 100 mph, after Kim was spotted driving recklessly and refused to pull over. Several officers opened fire when Kim drove toward two officers on foot.

Community leaders said officers overreacted by shooting him at least six times and asked Robertson to spell out the department’s procedure for the use of deadly force.

But Robertson said he could not comment on specifics until a routine investigation by the Orange County district attorney’s office is complete. He urged people not to jump to conclusions.

“What you and I can never do is realize what was in that officer’s mind or what was in an officer’s heart when a trigger is being pulled,” he said. “Some of those decisions happen in a fraction of a second.”

At the group’s request, Robertson said he would try to make available tapes of police radio communication during the incident.

After the meeting, community leaders said they were frustrated that they could not get immediate answers but appreciated the chief’s willingness to listen to their concerns.

“I cannot get answers; they have limited room to respond,” said businessman Myung Park. “But I feel better because we are holding a dialogue.”