While police were on a frantic two-week manhunt for the assassin who ambushed two cops in their patrol cruiser outside a Compton transit center, it turned out the suspect was right under their nose. “We have a suspect in custody, and justice will be served,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced.
Compton ambush suspect hidden in plain sight
According to Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey, 36-year-old Deonte Murray, of Compton pleaded not guilty in the suspected ambush of two police officers on September 12. “They became victims of a violent crime for one reason: They were doing their job, and they were wearing a badge.” A major two-and-a-half week manhunt ensued. It led them right back to their county jail. Disturbing surveillance video shows the assassin “walking up to the passenger door of their squad car, opening fire and running away.”
As Lacey explains, Murray was already sitting in a cell on a separate case when police identified him as the ambush suspect. He had been sitting there since three days after the Compton, California, ambush for shooting another man during a carjacking on September 1. In that incident, Murray “allegedly shot the owner of a Mercedes-Benz in the leg with a high-powered rifle before stealing the car.”
The police soon identified Murray as their suspected carjacker and went to round him up. He took off. “While deputies pursued him, Murray allegedly chucked a firearm from his car,” Captain Kent Wegener relates. “The weapon was collected as evidence and forensic analysis later determined it was the same gun” used in Compton to bushwhack the officers.
Great News… both of our Deputies from the #ComptonAmbush have been discharged from the hospital and are resting. They both have a long road to recovery and #LASD appreciates your continued prayers and all the support. #LASDStrong pic.twitter.com/FAXt1yalmp
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) September 22, 2020
A so-called ‘ghost gun’
The gun used in both the carjacking and the Compton ambush is whats known as a “so-called ghost gun.” Captain Wegener explains “the term is generally used for guns assembled from parts, making them extremely difficult to trace.” Both wounded officers underwent surgery and are expected to recover.
Murray was charged with carjacking, second-degree robbery and assault with a semiautomatic firearm. “Prosecutors later added charges of attempted murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, association with a criminal street gang, discharging a rifle inflicting great bodily injury and personal use of a rifle,” all from the same incident. After he was linked to the Compton ambush, they added “two counts each of willful, deliberate and premeditated attempted murder of a peace officer and possession of a firearm by a felon.” The judge set bail at $6.155 million.
The suspect’s lawyer filed a motion to have Murray moved, citing concerns for his safety. Sitting in jail in LA after trying to kill the Compton officers is like “you’re being housed by the victim’s family,” attorney Jack Keenan insists. “He’s being harassed night and day. He’s being denied food, and deputies are threatening him.” The judge said no. The Sheriff’s Department was offended. “Deputies always treat everyone in our care and custody with the same professionalism, regardless of their charges. Mr. Murray has been in our custody for several weeks, but he was just identified as the suspect in the shooting this morning, therefore it is odd these allegations of mistreatment only surfaced after that public identification.”
