Man who took hostages at Trader Joe's acquitted of murder in case where LAPD killed manager in gun battle
This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
A Los Angeles man was convicted Tuesday of dozens of assault, attempted murder and hostage-taking charges related to a wild cross-city 2018 crime spree, but was acquitted of murder after jurors decided he wasn’t responsible for the volley of LAPD bullets that killed a Trader Joe’s manager.Gene Evin Atkins faced more than 50 counts of assault, shooting at police, attempted murder and false imprisonment of hostages for his actions on July 21, 2018, which started with him shooting his own grandmother in South L.A.and ended in a gun battle with police in Silver Lake that left Melyda “Mely” Corado dead.Atkins was convicted on dozens of lesser counts Tuesday afternoon, but jurors acquitted him of first-degree murder, according to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
The jury deadlocked on a second-degree murder charge related to Corado’s death, the spokesperson said.While there was little doubt Atkins would be convicted of most counts, the murder charge loomed large because he did not fire the bullet that killed Corado.
California An update on the lawsuit brought by the family of Mely Cortado against the city of Los Angeles and the police officers accused of shooting her after a gun battle with a fleeing suspect.Atkins was charged with murder under a “provocative act” theory, meaning he created the circumstances that led to Corado’s death and was therefore legally responsible.Atkins initially led Los Angeles Police Department officers on a chase from South L.A.to Silver Lake after kidnapping his girlfriend.
As he fled in his grandmother’s car, authorities said Atkins shot at officers, ran red lights and collided with multiple vehicles.He crashed his car outside the Trader Joe’s on Hyperion Avenue and again fired at police as he ran inside the store, which was crowded with Saturday afternoon shoppers.Officers returned fire.
One of...