The Los Angeles County District Legal professional’s Workplace on Wednesday declined to file fees in opposition to a person accused of fatally capturing a co-worker throughout an argument saying the proof helps his declare of self-defense.
The sufferer, Stephen Totten, 40, of Whittier, died within the 13600 block of Chestnut Road Saturday night time.
It’s unknown what the 2 males argued about, stated Officer Thomas Mattsson, spokesman for the Whittier Police Division.
Whittier Police arrested the 40-year-old suspect on Monday and introduced their case to the DA’s Workplace on Wednesday.
“The totality of the proof helps a self-defense declare. As introduced, suspect has a viable self-defense declare which can’t be refuted,” Deputy District Legal professional Thushari Wijesing wrote within the kind that defined the the explanation why the suspect wasn’t charged.
The 2 males have been buddies and colleagues, he stated, including the suspect had a gathering at his dwelling on Saturday “the place all events have been consuming.”
In response to a witness, the 2 males argued which turned bodily when the sufferer started hitting the suspect within the head whereas the suspect was sitting in a chair, the prosecutor stated.
The witness heard a gunshot, ran out of the room then heard two extra photographs. When she returned, she noticed the sufferer bleeding and mendacity on high of the suspect, he stated.
The sufferer was shot twice within the chest whereas the suspect had two gunshot wounds to his proper arm and bruising and swelling to his face, Wijesing stated.
The suspect claimed that whereas he was seated, the sufferer approached him, referred to as him names and threatened to hit him, the prosecutor stated.
“Suspect knew sufferer had psychological well being points and had beforehand been concerned in violent fights. In worry, suspect unholstered his gun, pointed it, and requested sufferer to depart. As a substitute, sufferer punched the suspect. In worry for his life, suspect shot the sufferer twice,” Wijesing stated.
There have been three casings close to the sufferer, one bullet gap within the ceiling and two bullet holes in a door within the kitchen with an upward trajectory, Wijesing stated.
The investigating officer instructed the prosecutor that the health worker’s workplace decided the doorway wounds have been on the sufferer’s chest and the exit wounds have been on the sufferer’s again.
Primarily based on the crime scene, the bullet holes, the trajectory of the bullets and the sufferer’s wounds, Wijesing stated it appeared the suspect was on the bottom with the sufferer on high of him when the photographs have been fired.
The photographs appeared to undergo the sufferer then hit the kitchen door and the wall behind the door, he stated.
