DA: Stockton Officer Justified In Using Lethal Force To Stop Carjacking Suspect
STOCKTON (CBS13) - The San Joaquin County district attorney has issued a report three years after a Stockton police officer shot and killed a carjacking suspect.
Ofc. Miguel Morales used justified use of lethal force when 35-year-old Rodney Watts tried to steal a woman's car on April 13, 2016, the district attorney says.
It happened near West Lane and Knickerbocker Drive. Stockton Police Officer Joe Silva said it began just before 9 a.m. as officers were conducting what they call a "check out."
Morales said the three men began to run as police approached them. Two of the men got away while Watts ran into the intersection and tried to jump into the car of a 29-year-old woman. The two began to struggle and the car began to drift in the direction of the officers. That's when an officer fired his weapon and killed Watts.
Neighbors at the time told CBS13 they thought police acted too quickly.
During a search of the area, police found narcotic drugs scattered in the street near the vehicle.
Morales was placed on paid administrative leave after the shooting.
