Dope Cop
06-26-2009, 04:16 PM
By DENISSE SALAZAR and JON CASSIDY
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
ANAHEIM – One of two brothers who was shot and injured by an off-duty Anaheim police officer during a confrontation in the Angel Stadium parking lot this week has been released from the hospital and booked at the Anaheim Detention Facility, police said.
Jose Velazquez, 22, of Ontario, was released about 4:30 p.m. Thursday from UCI Medical Center in Orange and was booked on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon, said Anaheim Police Sgt. Rick Martinez.
His brother, Carlos Velazquez, 25, a U.S. Marine from Camp Pendleton, remains hospitalized.
(To see yesterday's story and photos, please click here.)
Their mother, Maria Velazquez, said that Carlos was shot in the head and Jose was shot in the upper arm.
Carlos Velazquez was left paralyzed on one half of his body by the bullet, which hit his spinal cord, his family was told by a doctor. His throat will also need to be reconstructed, family members said. Doctors did not know whether the paralysis would be permanent, they said.
Family members said that neither brother has a criminal record. None of the family members who were at the hospital had been at Wednesday night's Angels game. The Velazquez brothers were at the game with two friends and a girlfriend.
"At this stage, it appears the officer, who had been there with his wife and kids, was confronted by a total of three men," Martinez said. "We are trying to identify this (third) man … and what the confrontation was about with all these people."
Police have talked to about a dozen witnesses who said the men hit the veteran officer over the head with beer bottles, Martinez said.
About a half-hour after the game ended at 10:20 p.m. Wednesday, the off-duty officer called 911, police said.
"He said there were guys trying to get in his car," Martinez said. The officer reported that he was choked and that the men wouldn't leave, and then a confrontation developed, Martinez said.
The officer stopped talking to a dispatcher, but screaming could be heard in the background, Martinez said.
The police officer, who has not been identified, was released from a hospital early Thursday morning, Martinez said. The officer's wife and children were unharmed, Martinez said.
Marcus Freimanis, 21, of Tustin said he was walking through the parking lot with his girlfriend and two friends when they heard a commotion.
"We thought it was firecrackers and then we saw a guy with a gun and people screaming and saying, 'Put the gun down,'" Freimanis said. "Then we saw a guy hiding behind his car with a couple of kids."
"We only heard two pops and they were within about two seconds of each other," he said.
Freimanis, his girlfriend and friends jumped into his truck and saw one man on the ground holding his stomach. They called police.
The black pickup driven by the men who were shot was still at Angel Stadium early Thursday morning, parked one row over from dried pools of blood. The blood was at the front end of the parking space the officer had used, dried on the ground and along a concrete barrier.
The officer's 1999 white Honda Civic, which was parked on the north side of the parking lot, also remained in the lot until early Thursday morning, Martinez said.
The District Attorney's Office and the Anaheim Police Department are investigating the shooting.
The Anaheim Police Department is asking witnesses to call 714-765-1944.
"We're doing everything we can to fully cooperate with the Anaheim PD and their investigation," said Angels spokesman Tim Mead.
There are security cameras around the parking lot, and any relevant tapes will be or already have been turned over to police, Mead said. He didn't know whether the incident had been caught on tape.
Freimanis, who goes to two or three games per week, said he sees the occasional drunk fight, but nothing dangerous. "Nothing that is going to kill someone," he said.
Brian Powers, of Buena Park, died after a fight on opening day 2009. He was hit in the head from behind and fell, hitting his head on a concrete step.
At Dodger Stadium, a 30-year-old man was stabbed in a parking lot on opening day 2009.
Serena Maria Daniels contributed to this report.
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
ANAHEIM – One of two brothers who was shot and injured by an off-duty Anaheim police officer during a confrontation in the Angel Stadium parking lot this week has been released from the hospital and booked at the Anaheim Detention Facility, police said.
Jose Velazquez, 22, of Ontario, was released about 4:30 p.m. Thursday from UCI Medical Center in Orange and was booked on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon, said Anaheim Police Sgt. Rick Martinez.
His brother, Carlos Velazquez, 25, a U.S. Marine from Camp Pendleton, remains hospitalized.
(To see yesterday's story and photos, please click here.)
Their mother, Maria Velazquez, said that Carlos was shot in the head and Jose was shot in the upper arm.
Carlos Velazquez was left paralyzed on one half of his body by the bullet, which hit his spinal cord, his family was told by a doctor. His throat will also need to be reconstructed, family members said. Doctors did not know whether the paralysis would be permanent, they said.
Family members said that neither brother has a criminal record. None of the family members who were at the hospital had been at Wednesday night's Angels game. The Velazquez brothers were at the game with two friends and a girlfriend.
"At this stage, it appears the officer, who had been there with his wife and kids, was confronted by a total of three men," Martinez said. "We are trying to identify this (third) man … and what the confrontation was about with all these people."
Police have talked to about a dozen witnesses who said the men hit the veteran officer over the head with beer bottles, Martinez said.
About a half-hour after the game ended at 10:20 p.m. Wednesday, the off-duty officer called 911, police said.
"He said there were guys trying to get in his car," Martinez said. The officer reported that he was choked and that the men wouldn't leave, and then a confrontation developed, Martinez said.
The officer stopped talking to a dispatcher, but screaming could be heard in the background, Martinez said.
The police officer, who has not been identified, was released from a hospital early Thursday morning, Martinez said. The officer's wife and children were unharmed, Martinez said.
Marcus Freimanis, 21, of Tustin said he was walking through the parking lot with his girlfriend and two friends when they heard a commotion.
"We thought it was firecrackers and then we saw a guy with a gun and people screaming and saying, 'Put the gun down,'" Freimanis said. "Then we saw a guy hiding behind his car with a couple of kids."
"We only heard two pops and they were within about two seconds of each other," he said.
Freimanis, his girlfriend and friends jumped into his truck and saw one man on the ground holding his stomach. They called police.
The black pickup driven by the men who were shot was still at Angel Stadium early Thursday morning, parked one row over from dried pools of blood. The blood was at the front end of the parking space the officer had used, dried on the ground and along a concrete barrier.
The officer's 1999 white Honda Civic, which was parked on the north side of the parking lot, also remained in the lot until early Thursday morning, Martinez said.
The District Attorney's Office and the Anaheim Police Department are investigating the shooting.
The Anaheim Police Department is asking witnesses to call 714-765-1944.
"We're doing everything we can to fully cooperate with the Anaheim PD and their investigation," said Angels spokesman Tim Mead.
There are security cameras around the parking lot, and any relevant tapes will be or already have been turned over to police, Mead said. He didn't know whether the incident had been caught on tape.
Freimanis, who goes to two or three games per week, said he sees the occasional drunk fight, but nothing dangerous. "Nothing that is going to kill someone," he said.
Brian Powers, of Buena Park, died after a fight on opening day 2009. He was hit in the head from behind and fell, hitting his head on a concrete step.
At Dodger Stadium, a 30-year-old man was stabbed in a parking lot on opening day 2009.
Serena Maria Daniels contributed to this report.