UPDATE: Following the publication of this story, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office told The Daily Caller News Foundation that Flores is not eligible for burial assistance. As it remains unclear why Flores’ family is not eligible for burial assistance despite District Attorney George Gascon’s directive, the language of this story has been changed to reflect this ambiguity. TheDCNF has asked why Flores’ family is not eligible for burial assistance, and has not received a response.
A man who shot and killed two police officers could receive a funeral at taxpayers’ expense thanks to a policy implemented by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon.
Justin Flores shot and killed two El Monte Police Department officers, Michael Paredes and Joseph Santana, Tuesday night. The officers were responding to a 911 call concerning a possible stabbing incident at a motel when they were shot and killed by Flores, who died in the gunfight with police.
However, thanks to a policy implemented by Gascon in late 2020 which funds funeral and burial costs for “individuals killed by police,” taxpayers could foot the bill for Flores’ funeral.
“[The Los Angeles County Bureau of Victim Services] will also contact the families of individuals killed by police and provide support services including funeral, burial and mental health services immediately following the death regardless of the state of the investigation or charging decision,” the policy reads.
However, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office disputed that the policy covered Flores’ burial, telling The Daily Caller News Foundation that Flores “does not qualify for burial assistance from our office.”
“Those rumors are unfounded and incredibly disrespectful to the families and colleagues of the two fallen officers,” the spokesperson said. “We also hope people will stop playing politics with trauma and that we can all get serious about how we prevent serious violence before it begins.”
“George Gascon’s self-proclaimed ‘science-driven’ reforms have eviscerated the entire architecture of our justice system and mock the oath of office he took. His reforms victimize our victims even more after the tragedies they suffered. Not even peace officers, as the murder of the El Monte Police Department officers, has shown, are safe from his science experiments,” Deputy Veronica Fantom of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told TheDCNF.
At the time of the shooting, Justin Flores was already on probation for a charge of illegal possession of firearms back in 2020. Flores had been sentenced to serve a minimum of three years in prison, but received a lenient plea deal in line with Gascon’s policies and was only in prison for 20 days.
Officers Paredes and Santana gave their lives in the service of their fellow citizens.
It is outrageous the murderer was not in jail due to the reckless actions of George Gascon, a radical, soft-on-crime, Soros-backed DA. https://t.co/PzRdkcQVuR
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 15, 2022
Los Angeles County senior prosecutor Jonathan Hatami denounced Gascon’s ineffective “blanket policies” for individuals with lengthy criminal records, such as Justin Flores.
“[Gascon] gave a dangerous person with a long criminal record, who had been to prison twice, probation. And he called this ‘criminal justice reform.’ This was not reform or progress. And now, two honorable and courageous police officers are dead,” Hatami told the New York Post.
“It is so far from my way of thinking [that] I can’t imagine such a concept,” former Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley told the Washington Examiner. “This is beyond disgusting. It insults the memories of the two fallen officers. Shame on Gascon.”
If I were you I would save this tweet as a template so you could just edit the police department name if you’re going to keep dumping into our society these dangerous criminals. Sending condolences is part of the failure of your administration.
— Beatrice Cardenas (@RealBetyCardens) June 16, 2022
“They paid the ultimate sacrifice – serving their community, trying to help somebody,” said interim El Monte Police Chief Ben Lowry.
The El Monte Police Department did not immediately respond to DCNF request for comment.
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