Los Angeles DA defends policies, handling of suspect in El Monte shooting

Facing a barrage of questions from both reporters and the community he serves, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon Tuesday defended his decision to grant parole to the man accused of ambushing and killing two El Monte police officers before turning the gun on himself.

Justin Flores, the 35-year-old gunman, was on probation for a gun charge when Officer Joseph Santana and Corporal Michael Paradis were ambushed and shot to death at a motel on June 14. Paradis was a 22-year veteran, a husband and father of two. Santana was a rookie, a husband and father of three.

In 2021, Flores was arrested on drug and gun charges but wasn’t put in jail due to the non-violent nature of his crimes.

“When you have the history that this individual had, the outcome was appropriate under the circumstances,” Gascon said.

Gascon acknowledged Flores’s lengthy rap sheet spanning more than a decade, including narcotics addition, low-level drug offenses, and a burglary charge against a family member, but said Flores has largely stayed away from trouble for years.