Earlier this week, Southern California media reported that a Long Beach police officer was shot by a suspect on Saturday evening.
Turns out, the bullet came from his own partner’s weapon.
To make this incident of cop-on-cop violence even more outrageous, the suspect was charged with a felony complaint that specifically states that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm, which caused “great bodily injury” to the officer.
According to reports, three Long Beach officers arrived at an apartment complex Saturday evening for a report of a disturbance.
Police claim the suspect, 31-year-old Eric Arroyo, began shooting at the yet-to-be named officers as soon as they arrived and that one officer was hit, prompting his partner to return fire.
Despite being wounded, police claim Arroyo attempted to flee the scene and resist arrest, prompting them to use a “taser-like device” on him.
On Thursday, police admitted their error and announced that the officer had been shot by his partner during what was described by a witness as a “hail of gunfire,” to [__CBS Los Angeles.__](http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/06/17/long-beach-officer-was-actually-shot-by-partner-during-standoff-with-suspect/)
In light of the new information, the entire narrative by the police must be called into question. This is, after all, an agency that has dished out millions over the years in settlements, averaging more than $3 million a year, according to the Orange County Register.
Just last month, they shot and [__killed an unarmed college student__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/06/nbc-caught-altering-interview-with-witness-to-fit-police-narrative-in-long-beach-police-slaying-of-student/) after he had fallen out of a window and staggered toward the cop in a drug-induced haze, making the cop fear for his life.
In this case, if the officer only fired as a response to his partner being shot, how did a bullet from his gun enter his partner’s body before he discharged his weapon?
Arroyo and the officer were both injured during the incident, but are both expected to survive.
On Wednesday, Arroyo’s bail was set at $3 million after being charged with two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer and two counts of assault with a firearm upon a peace officer. All four charges are felonies.
As of Thursday evening, despite the new information, none of the charges against Arroyo have been rescinded. He remains imprisoned and his next court date is set for June 19.
If the charges against him are not changed, he faces a maximum sentence of 80 years in state prison for the cop-on-cop shooting.
Many local news outlets have not issued corrections to their stories stating that Arroyo shot the officer.
It’s chilling to know that any citizen could be charged with [__attempted murder of a peace officer__](http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/cacode/PEN/3/1/16/s664) when police end up shot because of [__cop friendly fire__](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/05/nyregion/unarmed-man-is-charged-with-wounding-bystanders-shot-by-police-near-times-square.html?_r=0).
