Hundreds gathered Saturday evening to remember and honor Cpl. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana, the El Monte police officers killed in a shootout Tuesday.
Olga Garcia, the mother of slain El Monte Police Officer Joseph Anthony Santana, 31, was speaking through tears at a news conference Friday outside LAPD police headquarters.
The man who shot and killed two El Monte police officers this week could have faced additional time in prison, but may have received a lighter sentence as a result of one of Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon's policies regarding "prior strike" convictions. A judge later deemed the policy illegal.