At a rally in front of El Monte Police Department headquarters on Monday, the family of a slain officer said dispatchers withheld crucial information before the shooting that left two policemen dead.
On June 14, 2022, Sgt. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana were gunned down outside a motel by a convicted felon, identified by authorities as Justin William Flores, who was on probation for a weapons violation. Flores later died by suicide.
At the protest on Monday morning, Santana’s loved ones said that two El Monte police dispatchers — who are still employed by the department — did not adequately relay valuable information that could have saved the officers’ lives. After the accusations first came to light, one of the dispatchers decided to go on paid leave.
The demonstrators carried signs that read “Justice for Joseph” and “We Won’t Rest Until There’s Justice.” Santana’s family said they simply want accountability, calling for the two dispatchers to be terminated from their jobs and banned from working in law enforcement again.