Mother of Raejonette Morgan speaks out after meeting with LA sheriff over deputy's response

The mother of Raejonette Morgan spoke out Wednesday after meeting with Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, nearly two weeks after a deputy's response to her daughter's killing drew criticism from her and others.

On July 2, Morgan was found shot to death inside a car riddled in bullet holes near the West Athens neighborhood in South Los Angeles. She was shot near the Vermont Avenue exit of the 105 Freeway around 7:30 p.m., sheriff's officials said.

The 22-year-old college student was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead two days later.

But video surfaced online showing a Los Angeles County deputy in a patrol vehicle parked just behind Morgan after she was shot, the law enforcement officer remaining inside the vehicle while a woman recording the video pleads for the deputy to help. Dionne M. Leslie-Pullen, the woman, said Morgan was still moving at the time.

"He could have talked to her. He could've asked her questions while he was helping her in the position that she was in," Leslie-Pullen said at the time. "But he never came over to the vehicle."

About four and a half minutes into the video, other deputies arrive and pull Morgan out of the car.

The day after her daughter died, Anginette Morgan became emotional as she spoke with reporters about the deputy's response, demanding an apology from the sheriff's department as she said her daughter "did not deserve to die like that."

"I don't understand how could you not have helped my daughter?" she said. "How could you neglect her like that?"

At the time, the department said it was reviewing the deputy's response to probe whether the appropriate training and tactics were followed. Meanwhile, civil rights attorney Ben Crump requested a meeting with Sheriff Luna on behalf of Morgan's family, hoping to learn what protocol deputies are instructed to follow when a shooting victim is still alive. 

On Wednesday, her mother joined civil rights activists in addressing reporters after a meeting with Luna, during which she said the sheriff gave her insight into the investigation so far and assured her that the deputy's actions were being investigated. She called the meeting "inspiring" and expressed hope for the future of the investigation.

"I feel good about what's gonna be next," Morgan said. "And I know that they're working as hard as they can to get to the bottom of this. We want to find out who the shooter was."

Others who attended the meeting also spoke optimistically about Luna's response, saying the sheriff promised change.

"Seeing the video of the deputy who was on scene and did not act in the way that we would expect him to act — we are upset and we are concerned," Pastor Shep Crawford said. "And what we learned here today is that the outcome of this investigation will either change some policies or something will change, where we will never have to see a situation like this."

Anginette Morgan said her daughter was her best friend and always checked on her and told her she loved her. Raejonette had been pursing a career in criminal justice while attending college and working part-time, her mother said.

"We spent just about everyday together. She was an outgoing 22-year-old," she said. "She was well on her way to making a mark on the world. She loved to cook. She loved to eat. She loved her family."

Morgan said she is hopeful her daughter's killer, or killers, will be found.

"It's going to be a long road," she said. "But I do feel like we're gonna get to the bottom of this."