Through Lawyer, Deputies Issue Apology for Firing Hail of Bullets

Nine of 10 deputies who fired 120 rounds of ammunition in a bungalow-lined Compton street at the end of a car chase this week apologized Friday through their lawyer for the damage, including the shootings of an unarmed suspect and of one of their own.

“These fine deputies that stand with me today wish to offer their unqualified and sincere apology to those who reside on Butler [Avenue], who were affected by the shooting early Monday,” said attorney Gregory Emerson, general counsel of the Los Angeles County Professional Sheriff’s Assn.

Sheriff Lee Baca said he could not recall any other law enforcement officers in Los Angeles delivering mea culpas for a controversial police action.

“When have you ever had a peace officer come out ... and say, ‘I’m concerned. I have a sense of feeling about this. I want you to know I don’t feel good about this,’ ” Baca said. “This has never happened in this county and this speaks well for the integrity of these deputies.”

The apology came at a news conference at the Los Angeles Athletic Club called after a public outcry over the videotaped shooting, which left homes pockmarked with bullet holes.

Suspect Winston Hayes, who allegedly later told investigators he was on drugs, was shot four times, and Deputy Edward Clark was superficially wounded.

Hayes remained in the hospital in stable condition.

Baca has called the gunfire excessive.

Emerson said a supervisor radioed deputies before the shooting to keep their distance from Hayes, who was driving an SUV, “because he was a murder suspect.” That turned out to be untrue, but Emerson said the deputies relied on the warning at the fast-moving scene.

“Each one of them, to a person ... wishes that things would have been a little bit different and certainly they wish it was not necessary to fire so many shots,” Emerson said.

Emerson said he represents Clark and fellow deputies Henry Aguilar Jr., Clyde Terry, Michael Haggerty, William Formica, Vergilina Bolder, Jason Molina, Richard Vargas and Patrick Neal.

The 10th deputy is not represented by Emerson.

Deputies had responded to a shots-fired report about 11:45 p.m. Sunday and pursued Hayes at speeds up to 60 mph because his SUV matched the description of a vehicle involved in the crime.

Hayes later was determined to have no involvement in the shooting, but he didn’t stop, allegedly because he was under the influence of narcotics.

The videotape showed that deputies fired several shots when Hayes backed toward them.

A second later, a larger burst of gunfire erupted from other deputies.

During that burst, one of the deputies tripped, and some of his colleagues feared he’d been hit.

As the SUV lurched forward, deputies unleashed a third barrage of bullets.