Stockton officer killed responding to call
2 California police officers fatally shot in less than 24 hours, 3rd wounded
LOS ANGELES — A Stockton police officer was fatally shot Tuesday while still inside his police SUV, marking the second California officer to be killed in the line of duty in 24 hours.
Paramedics rushed the Stockton officer, identified as Officer Jimmy Inn, and the male suspect to a nearby hospital with multiple gunshot wounds following the 10:30 a.m. shooting. Both later died.
Inn, 30, was hired by the department in December 2015. He leaves behind his wife, Tela, who is also a Stockton officer, a 7-month-old son, a 12-year-old stepdaughter, and a 14year-old stepson.
Inn’s black and white sports utility vehicle was still at the scene on Le Cresta Way on Tuesday afternoon. Witnesses reported seeing gunfire toward the police vehicle.
According to the Stockton Police Department, a call of a disturbance in the 4400 block of La Cresta Way was fielded at 9:45 a.m., and Inn was dispatched and arrived on scene at 10:07 a.m. Shortly after arriving on scene, Inn was in front of the residence when he was reportedly shot by the suspect, a black male adult.
Another officer arrived on scene and fired his duty weapon at the suspect, police said. The suspect then entered his home and returned moments later holding a young child, police said, and the suspect began to strangle the child and refused to
comply with the officer’s commands.
A community member reportedly tackled the suspect and as the officer approached, the officer discharged his gun, striking the suspect.
Less than 250 miles away in San Luis Obispo, the police chief Tuesday identified the officer gunned down during the serving of a search warrant for stolen property as Luca Benedetti. Benedetti was one of six officers assisting with serving the warrant at a Camellia Court apartment when a gunman opened fire from inside at about 5:30 p.m. Monday.
The suspect was identified as Edward Zimon Giron, 37. He was killed as officers returned fire.
A second officer was wounded during that incident and he was identified as Steve Orozco, police said. He was treated and released from Sierra Vista Hospital on Monday evening.
“Yesterday was an absolute tragedy,” San Luis Obispo Police Chief Rick Scott said at a news conference. “An officer died serving this community. This tragic loss will be deeply felt.”
The search warrant was related to a series of latenight burglaries in the community. The officers approached the apartment address and announced their presence and when they got no reply opted to force their way inside the front door, police said.
According to police, Giron was waiting inside and as officers crossed the apartment threshold he began firing from deeper in the apartment. The two officers were immediately cut down by his rounds and colleagues managed to drag them out of the line of further fire while shooting back at Giron, police said.
Family members or other representatives for Giron could not be immediately reached for comment.
It is unclear if there were independent witnesses to the shooting.