Video released by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department shows the moment that male suspect opened fire on two deputies at a Compton bus station
City Manager Jose Ometeotl posted on his previously public Instagram account that the ambush of two deputies in Compton on Saturday night was "expected in the society we live in today."
"The fact that someone randomly opened fire on deputies is to be expected in the society we live in today. The political climate and leadership of Sheriff Villanueva has only sowed the seeds of anger and frustration in the community. I pray for the deputies and their families while still demanding justice for Andres Guardado, Breana Taylor, Tamir Rice, Ahmaud Arbery..." Ometeotl wrote in the post, accompanied by a photo of Malcolm X with the caption, "Chickens come home to roost."
"The shooting of anyone is a wholly unacceptable occurrence in society. I do not condone the type of violence seen in the shooting of the deputies yesterday in Compton. I will say that communities like Compton have been plagued by deputy gangs that inflict fear and violence in the community. These deputies murdered, framed and stole from the community just because they could. Good deputies never turned on bad deputies for fear of retaliation and when caught most of these bad deputies kept their jobs and continued on their criminal career," the post also stated.
Local reporter Bill Melugin tweeted screenshots of the post, which ostensibly led to Ometeotl making his Instagram account private.
Officials in Lynwood, a city in Los Angeles County, addressed the post at the end of a statement on the shooting of the two deputies.
"There have been comments made today (Sunday) by our City Manager on his personal social media that are his personal opinions and don't reflect the position of the Lynwood City Council," the statement said. "Today we are only thinking of the two deputies and are praying for their recovery."
The LASD also told the Washington Examiner that they were "disgusted" by the post.
"We are disgusted and disappointed with his lack of compassion for the two brave deputies who almost lost their lives. We know his comments do not represent the views of the Lynwood community or the city council who offered their support through these troubling times," the LASD said.
Both of the deputies were shot Saturday evening while they were in their patrol car in what has been described as an "ambush."
"That was a cowardly act," Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said of the attack. "The two deputies were doing their job, minding their own business, watching out for the safety of the people on the train. To see somebody just walk up and start shooting on them, it pisses me off. It dismays me at the same time. There's no pretty way to say it."
Police have launched a manhunt for the suspect and announced a six-figure reward to anyone with information on the suspect that leads to his arrest and conviction.
The two deputies are out of surgery, and Villanueva said they are "going to be able to recover."
R.C.