Who is William Dorsey Jones Jr?

A LOS Angeles cop who allegedly killed an unarmed bystander in a North Hollywood shooting has been identified.

Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr is reported accidentally shot dead 14-year-old girl Valentina Orellena-Peralta when she escaped from a suspected gunman in a store just two days before Christmas.

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Who is William Dorsey Jones Jr?

William Dorsey Jones Jr is a veteran LAPD officer who has served in the force for more than ten years, according to Letters.

Although he has shut down his social networks since the alleged incident, it is revealed that he runs non-profit organizations, works as a coach and harbors hopes for improvement. improve departmental relationships in the local community.

He also championed the Black Lives Matters movement and repeatedly called for change across the police force.

“I am a black man, I am the father of a black son, I am a victim of racism,” Jones wrote in a deleted tweet from August 2021.

“I am the LAPD. I have the strength & determination to influence CHANGE in the community. ”

According to reports, Jones moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to pursue a career in entertainment but instead became a police officer.

He spent eight years on patrol and three years as a community relations officer, New York Times reported.

In 2019, the officer is said to have spoken to a local radio station about his approach to law enforcement.

“There is no better crime reduction strategy than engaging with our youth, letting them not fear us, letting them know there are people out there who care.”

What happened at the Burlington Jacket Factory?

On December 23, 2021, police are said to have stormed the Burlington Coat Factory in North Hollywood to confront a man who is accused of assaulting another person with a deadly weapon.

Police confirmed that they opened fire and killed the 24-year-old suspect, Daniel Elena Lopez, who was involved in the confrontation when authorities arrived.

But tragically, during the incident, 14-year-old bystander Valentina Orellana-Peralta was smack in the chest when she goes to buy a quinceañera dress just two days before Christmas.

Reports suggest that she was hide in the dressing room with her motherSoledad Peralta, and was hit by a stray bullet through the dressing room wall.

The LADP was immediately ordered to conduct a transparent investigation into her death as members of the public denounced the force’s “hasty” and “excessive” response.

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On December 27, a series of body cam clip has been released that shows how the crash plays out in real time.

The video features a 911 call of a “hostile” customer attacking people inside the store.

When an officer was seen entering the building with a rifle, Lopez was spotted attacking the victim who was lying on the floor bleeding from her head.

He was then shot multiple times and collapsed to the ground as he was handcuffed by police.

But seconds later, footage captured the moment Elena-Lopez collapsed to the floor, mortally wounded as police later confirmed that she had been hit by the officer with the gun.

In the background, Valentina’s mother is heard screaming in the dressing room next to her dying daughter.

Captain Stacy Spell said Orellana-Peralta was “crushed by a ball that slid off the floor and into the dressing room wall”.

According to investigators, both she and Lopez died of “gunshot wounds in the chest”.

What did the LAPD say?

As of December 31, 2021, the LAPD only announced their version of the events leading up to the officer-involved shooting through a pre-recorded press conference.

They also have not confirmed a statement from Mr Jones’s attorney that he was the employee allegedly involved in the incident, LA Times report.

Meanwhile, amid backlash from members of the public and from Valentina’s grieving family, Tom Saggau, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Protection League, defended the officer accused of his reaction.

“You’re trained to go into the facility and try to eliminate the threat so more people don’t get shot.

“That was the mindset when they returned that call,” he told The Daily Beast.

“This is the person that four days ago, everyone in our country wanted to hire,” he added.

LAPD Director Michel Moore has since confirmed that a “comprehensive, complete and transparent” investigation is underway.

Mr. Jones’ future in the force is yet to be determined.