Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department acknowledged Tuesday that one of its deputies shot and killed a man in Compton last month a man who was not connected to the carjacking that had led police to the area. On July 28, a deputy fatally shot Donnell Thompson, 27, during a search for a carjacking suspect who had allegedly fired at the law-enforcement officials. “We have determined that there is no evidence that Mr. Thompson was in the carjacked vehicle, nor that he was involved in the assault on the deputies,” the department said in an official statement. To make matters worse, the department noted that Thompson was found by deputies after they had already located and arrested the actual carjacking suspect. A neighbor in the area had reportedly seen Thompson laying in the yard, and called 911. Upon arriving at the scene, deputies believed one of Thompson’s hands was concealed from view, and that he was unresponsive to commands and possibly connected to the crime. When he finally responded, he allegedly stood up and charged at the deputies, who then fired upon him. No weapon was found in his possession.