Ex-LAPD Officer Facing Manslaughter Charges For Death Of Disabled Man in 2019

A former Los Angeles Police Department officer has been charged with manslaughter in connection with a fatal shooting incident of a disabled man in 2019.

The officer was identified as Salvador Sanchez, who served the LAPD for seven years at the time of the shooting. He was arrested on Monday at Riverside County.

Sanchez is facing one count of voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. According to the LAPD, he was terminated in July 2020, USA Today reported.

The former police officer was at Costco in California on the fateful day when he was attacked from behind by Kenneth French. Sanchez was knocked to the ground and retaliated by opening fire on the 32-year-old man while also critically injuring French’s parents.

However, it was later found that Kenneth was non-verbal and intellectually disabled. Sanchez claims he drew his gun thinking that he and his son’s life was in danger. French was not armed at that time and was allegedly moving away from the officer when Sanchez opened fire.

It appears Kenneth Sanchez was taken off his medications for mental illness because of other health issues. This appears to be the reason why the 32-year-old’s behavior changed at the time.

Regardless, the parents of Kenneth French have filed a federal lawsuit against Sanchez and the city. This followed after the Riverside County district attorney decided not to file criminal charges against the former LAPD officer when the grand jury did not bring an indictment in September 2019.

Sanchez’s attorney, David Winslow, branded the client’s arrest a political stunt that does absolutely nothing to protect the public.

"The arrest of Sal Sanchez is a product of the politically motivated program by the California Attorney General to prosecute police officers," Winslow stated. "Sal was not acting as a police officer when he was attacked. He was off duty acting as a father in self-defense and protecting his child."