Late last month, the Orange County District Attorney’s office released its report on the March 20, 2014 shooting death of Robert Andrew Moreno, who fired several times at Anaheim police officers, who returned fire and killed him. This was the incident during which Anaheim PD K9 Bruno was shot by Moreno.
The report has received virtually no coverage. I’m only aware of it because Dan Chmielewski posted about it on TheLiberalOC.com.
In response, the usual suspects (online and at city council meetings) leveled their usual attacks against the Anaheim Police Department as a band of racist brutes, referred to Moreno’s shooting as “murder” or an “execution,” and ridiculed the outpouring of concern for K9 Bruno.
Eight months later, the DA’s report makes clear what was obvious even at the time: Moreno was a violent criminal who fled the police, shot at them and was killed.
Here’s Dan Chmielewski’s summary of the report’s findings:
- Seven interviews were conducted and 46 witnesses were contacted in the investigation.
- Moreno was one of three males seen by police who fled when police approached them; officers recognized a standing Moreno as one of the trio who fled the scene. When Moreno was asked what he was doing by a police officer, Moreno fled down an ally, stopped and pulled a handgun, firing on an Anaheim police officer. At least three shots were fired by Moreno as officers took cover.
- Moreno fired one more shot while making his way behind an apartment complex.
- Anaheim Police used a PA system with warnings in English and Spanish that a police dog had been deployed in the area and to stay inside their homes.
- Moreno hid in a trashcan. When K-9 Bruno used his nose to lift the lid, Moreno shot the dog once; the bullet remains lodged inside the dog near his heart and cannot be removed.
- Moreno continued firing at the three officers on the scene who returned fire. As soon as Moreno stopped firing, the police called a cease fire and called to Moreno to surrender for medical attention; with no word from the trash can, officers approached it to discover Moreno had suffered a fatal head wound and his weapon had fallen out of the trash can. Moreno suffered 23 gunshot wounds resulting in his death.
- The entire initial incident was witnessed by Jaime Gonzalez, a probationer interviewed by police who positively identified Moreno as the person who fired on police officers.
- Moreno had traces of methamphetamine and other drugs in this system.
The anti-police crowd in Anaheim claim they really aren’t anti-cop, just against “police terrorism.” Anyone think we’ll see them at an upcoming council meeting thanking the police for protecting the public from a violent, would-be killer?
