The deputy who shot and killed an unarmed Marine sergeant after a predawn traffic stop said the Marine was acting so "irrationally" that it seemed dangerous to let him drive away with his two daughters, an official said Friday.
So when the Marine -- later identified as Sgt. Manny Loggins Jr. of Camp Pendleton -- climbed back into his GMC Yukon and turned the ignition, the deputy opened fire, according to Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
Amormino stressed that he was merely relaying statements made by the deputy to investigators and "not defending" what happened.
"This was a very tragic event, we all feel bad for the family," Amormino said.
The deputy, a 15-year veteran, told investigators he was parked at San Clemente High School writing reports when he spotted Loggins driving "at a high rate of speed" before turning into the lot and crashing into a gate near the football field.
The deputy pulled up behind Loggins and radioed for backup. It was about 4:40 a.m. Tuesday.
Loggins, 31, stepped out of the Yukon and walked off into the darkness toward the football field, ignoring a series of commands made by the deputy. His two daughters, ages 9 and 14, remained in the vehicle.
Other deputies soon arrived and formed a perimeter around the back end of the football field in case Loggins was trying to flee, Amormino said. Because it was dark, nobody could see where Loggins was.
"About five minutes later, Loggins walked back toward the Yukon," Amormino said.
The deputy issued "a new set of commands" which Loggins again didn't follow, Amormino said.
"Due to Loggins' failure to follow the commands and his irrational behavior, including statements he made, the deputy had a deep concern for the safety of the children," Amormino said. "In the deputy's mind, it was unsafe for [Loggins] to drive away with the girls."
Amormino said he couldn't disclose what the alleged "irrational" behaviors or statements entailed, but said Loggins didn't appear to be intoxicated.
When Loggins got back into the Yukon and either started the engine or began trying to drive away, the deputy opened fire, shooting Loggins through the driver side window, which shattered. (The girls were in the back seat and not injured.)
Amormino acknowledged that this version of events differs from , in which the deputy reportedly opened fire because he feared for his own life.
"The real threat was for the lives of the children," Amormino said Friday. In a case like this, "some information becomes immediately available and some takes longer to get because witnesses have to be interviewed," he noted.
Amormino said this account came from the deputy who fired the shots. Another deputy was nearby, but "I don't know what he saw," Amormino said.
Loggins' daughters were also interviewed by investigators, but Amormino said he didn't know what they said or if their story lined up with the deputy's.
In addition, KABC-TV said the incident was taped on the deputy's dashboard video camera.
"Whatever the truth is will come out," Amormino said, noting that "a complete and thorough investigation" would be conducted by the Orange County District Attorney's office, which investigates all officer-involved shootings.
Results of the autopsy on Loggins probably won't be made public for a few weeks, after toxicology tests are finished and the sheriff reviews the findings, he said.
, describing the Illinois native as a kind and faith-filled Christian family man who would never disobey authorities or jeopardize the safety of his daughters.
Feb. 14 UPDATE: Deputies union issues a statement defending the shooting. .
able to protect and support the girls.
I went to my City Council meeting this week and asked that very question, and they referred me to our local Police Services office in our town. The local Police Services office and our Chief of Police Services referred me to the County level, the Professional Standards Division (PSD), and said they handle all inquires to ensure uniform and prompt responses. (What could be more uniform and prompt than an Internet-facing website with updated information??) They gave me a phone number to call, which I'll have to use since the OCSD website section for PSD doesn't look like it has anything regarding current Police procedures, except for maybe the Internal Affairs Unit, and to file an official Complaint. That may be the best way to go actually, to try to get an official response on what the current guidelines are. Maybe referring me to the PSD is code for "File an official complaint, or shut the front door, but either way we don't want to talk to you on the record." Anyway, here's the link to the form. It sounds like several Commenters may want to use it more often: http://egov.ocgov.com/vgnfiles/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner/Docs/Division/Personnel_Complaint_Form.pdf
http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/Commands%20and%20Divisions/Professional%20Services%20Command/Professional%20Standards/How%20to%20File%20a%20Commendation%20for%20an%20Employee I can't believe the round-around I'm getting on trying to research something as basic as when a Cop is allowed to shoot someone. Like it's supposed to be a secret, or is it unclear when you can start blowing citizens away on the street?? I would hope it's perfectly clear to all who carry a gun for our protection on how and when they can use it. I should be able to ask any officer driving around with gun the same question, and should get the same uniform and prompt answer from every cop on duty. The fact they can't easily respond with these rules for public review is even more disturbing from a public safety perspective. It's not just the cops who should know exactly when they can shoot people. Every citizen should know the rules, too, so they're not unpleasantly surprised at an officer's lack of restraint, like Sgt. Loggins was.
Point 1: The OCSD claim that Manny was 'irrational,' Let's see. He had collided with a gate that had always been open. He got out of the car to inspect the damage to gate and vehicle, they walked to the track to see if anyone was in fact using it. Even for a quiet-natured man, he was likely upset. To my mind that does not equate to irrational. Just my take ... Point 2. The girls in the car were screaming, perhaps for their Dad because they saw policemen with guns surrounding the car. Remember, a 14 year old has enough judgment to baby sit.
Question: how did the cop know the kids were in the car? Was that discovered before he approached the car or after the fact of shooting Manny? That is the key question to answer for the jury eventually, and the question that will haunt this case when it goes to trial…until it is explicitly answered and there is an end to the trial. My last point is that Manny was known to run at that location on a regular basis by everyone near or at this location (that would include cops). Also too, if this deputy was fifteen years and an officer of the law, wouldn’t routine checks on license plates be the first thing he would look for as soon as he saw anything?
It's clear that the OCSD put some spin on the story, and it's also clear that the Orange County Register just went with it. Here's the blotter record (I'll post the actual record in a "reply") It's a good thing that deputy Sandberg is on leave. What if he had lulled this man over? At 1630 a call came in from an informing MOTORIST - NOT the kid, with NFD (no further details). At 1635 it appears that the child did call 911, and that the CHP was tracking the cell phone. At 1637 the last cell hit was at Alcazar and PCH. At 1639 the car is found at Golden Lantern and PCH. At 1641 - 11 minutes after the first call - the OCSD is informed that the "dad was sick", and dispatch says it may be a diabetic reation.
http://sanclemente.patch.com/articles/police-expert-loggins-shooting-raises-thorny-questions According to the article....the children were screaming before their father was shot.