Friday, December 26, 2008

Winston Hayes - Excessive Force or Scared Deputies afraid for their lives

A 15-minute car chase through Los Angeles that ended in a barrage of bullets creates more questions than answers.

Gang-Ridden Compton's middle of the night gun battle was a wakeup call even for residents who have seen it all.

"I'm hearing Fourth of July. That's exactly what it was. Gunfire everywhere," says freelance cameraman Jesse Escochea, who caught the shootout on tape.

Watch the video

Ten deputies unleashed a barrage of over 100 bullets. Eleven of the gunshots hit nearby homes.

When the smoke cleared, police found no weapon inside the vehicle. The suspect, 44-year-old Winston Hayes, was injured, along with one sheriff's deputy, shot by other deputies in the crossfire.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca stated "There's no such thing as a safe shooting. …and that's why we want to take a look at this very closely, because the aspect of shooting in urban areas is very problematic and dangerous under all circumstances."

Some blame the Sheriff's Department for overstepping their bounds and using excessive force. Other's; however, believe that Sheriff's Deputies were aggressive, but when confronted with a situation like this - must be.

This Blog Post was created to extend to you, the reader, an outlet to post your comments and thoughts on the matter. Not only on this shooting, but all Police shootings.

Gang Research.org would like to know your thoughts on how you think the police feel on a daily basis fighting the crime and Gang problem in areas such as Compton. Do they fear for their life and safety as stated by several Deputies in their formal reports regarding this incident, or are they just Macho go-getters with an "I'm untouchable" mentality.

Give us your thoughts. Link back to your site. Post videos for others to see.

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