LA County sheriff's deputy charged in unarmed man's 2016 death
LOS ANGELES (FOX 11) - A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy has been charged with voluntary manslaughter stemming from the fatal on-duty shooting of an unarmed man in 2016.
An attorney for Deputy Luke Liu pleaded not guilty on his behalf Tuesday.
Liu has been on desk duty since the February 2016 shooting that killed 26-year-old Francisco Garcia.
Prosecutors say Liu approached a stolen car suspect at a gas station. When the driver began slowly pulling away, prosecutors say Liu ran alongside the car and fired seven shots. Garcia was hit four times and died.
District Attorney Jackie Lacey says Liu's actions were "unjustified and unreasonable."
Sheriff's officials said Liu opened fire because he saw Garcia reach for something in the backseat. They said he was hit by the car, suffering minor injuries.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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