LOS ANGELES – Activists are demanding an investigation into a woman’s shooting death after video footage surfaced showing deputies failing to render aid to the dying woman.
Raejonette Morgan, 22, was shot multiple times while driving southbound on Vermont Ave. near the 105 freeway on July 2.
Morgan succumbed to her injuries on July 4.
Morgan’s family, in collaboration with attorney Ben Crump and civil rights activist Najee Ali, director of Project Islamic Hope, held a press conference July 5 calling for her killer to turn themselves and are also seeking a meeting with Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna after video footage from the scene showed deputies failing to render aid to Morgan while she lay dying in her vehicle.
“I offer my prayers to the [Morgan] family regarding the loss of your daughter. As I told Najee, my law firm will join you in demanding a full investigation,” Crump stated.
Najee Ali, elaborating on their demands, said, “We are also calling for a meeting with Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff Robert Luna, who has a long track record of great character and integrity. What his deputy did, which was captured on cell phone video by a good Samaritan, was shocking, reprehensible, and inexcusable.”
Ali is questioning the protocols followed by the Sheriff’s Department when attending to shooting victims who are still alive.
“We want to know directly from Sheriff Luna what the protocol is for shooting victims who are still alive. We want this deputy’s name released and want to see if he has a history of complaints concerning not helping African American crime victims,” Ali stated.
“I honestly believe that if a young white woman had been shot in a hail of bullets, this deputy would have sprung into action and not allowed her to bleed out in the car. He would have broken the car window himself to render aid and CPR, and not waited for a good Samaritan to do his job for him,” Ali added.
According to Ali, the sheriff’s department is cooperating in scheduling a meeting to address what was captured in the video.
Deputies from the South Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station responded to the westbound freeway and Vermont Avenue where they found Morgan inside a white Mercedes suffering from multiple gunshots, according to the South Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station watch commander Jesus Cabadas.
According to her family, Morgan fell victim to a mistaken identity shooting by alleged gang members. The family is now calling for justice and urging those responsible for her murder to come forward.
Anyone with information regarding this shooting was urged to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or go directly to lacrimestoppers.org.