Garden Grove police officer fatally shoots 16-year-old in altercation with 3 teens

The suspect a Garden Grove police officer shot and killed in an altercation was a 16-year-old boy from Santa Ana, police said Thursday.

The boy allegedly stabbed and grabbed the officer, who shot the boy in response, during the Wednesday night incident involving three 16-year-olds, police said. The officer was expected to make a full recovery.

Police said that a follow-up investigation found that the three had robbed a 41-year-old woman of her cell phone and some personal items before being confronted by officers. Investigators seized more cell phones and a knife from the suspects’ vehicle. 

The plainclothes officers had approached three occupants of a car about 9:30 p.m. near Garden Grove Boulevard and Galway Street, and officers reported that one occupant grabbed and stabbed an officer, who then fired.

The boy died before he could be taken to a hospital. He had prior arrests for auto theft, burglary and assault, according to police.

The other teenagers, a boy and a girl, were booked into the Orange County Juvenile Hall on charges of robbery.

The driver of the car is a boy from Westminster on formal probation for robbery, auto theft and vandalism, police said. The girl, from either Garden Grove or Cerritos, was arrested on suspicion of criminal obstruction, alcohol-related offenses and probation violations. 

Authorities have not released the names of the teenagers nor of the robbery victim.

ALSO:

Bell police angry at a possible elimination of department

Seattle Mariners' Adam Kennedy arrested on suspicion of DUI

Consumers misled by advertising can sue manufacturer even if product not defective

-- Howard Blume

Comments

[jack dawson]

great . we're killing our 16 year olds now.

[Macca Doo]

Thank you officer! I wish you would have killed all 4 criminals. We cannot afford to cater to these PREDATORS anymore. We need the DEATH PENALTY for these violent PREADATORS!!! Thanx again to all Law enforcement! Law abiding people support you!

[CaliPHOBE]

Good. No big hassle over whether to try him as an adult or a juvenile. No $$ spent on prosecution, incarceration, probation; then another robbery and the cycle starts all over again. This way, it's DONE.

[aeleth]

How is it possible to hit only 1 of 3 targets? Is the shooting range closed due to budget cuts?

[mccrazy]

he wasn't a 16 year old boy, he was a 16 year old thug. get it right will ya

[RockBottom]

Normally I would be troubled by a shooting of a teen by police officers. However , in this case it seems that this group of neer-do wells were on a path of destruction that ended in one of them being shot.

Much could be said for rehabilitation and changing ones behavior with maturation. All that is fine and pie in the sky. Our world is filled with those that have no problem taking advantage of the average joe waking down the street. We all know that robbery is a severe criminal offense and to make the decision to participate in such conduct at that age shows a wanton disregard for society in general.

Note to all: Stab a police officer - plan on getting shot.

May sound cold but file this under - Too bad... but Oh Well.

[sailbyme]

Our neighbors from the south showing us good parenting. No amnesty, no more freebies.

[August]

Thank Gawd the NEW GOVERNMENT will wipe the crooked thug cops off...

[John]

Good, another punk off the street

[u know]

16 years old and already has a record "He had prior arrests for auto theft, burglary and assault"

Thank you officer for taking this scum out before he got more brazen, more violent and more of a scourge to society.

[bleed_dodger_blue]

no need to call the sanitation department; the cops take out the trash in Garbage Grove.

[Major Variola (ret)]

But I bet they're offspring of illegals.

[Journalism?]

Maybe a better headline would be "16 year old stabs cop", or "teen robber shot by police after attempted murder". Your headline makes it seem as if the cop is wrong - But then again, this is the LAT, I'd forgotten that for a moment.

[Thinline72]

AWESOME! WAY TO GO GARDEN GROVE PD!

Release the names of the loser teens and their parents as well. And while your at it ... check their residency status.

[angelcity]

I wonder what the other side of the story is, now they we heard the cops (child killer) version of the story.

RIP

[Alex P. Gomez]

Sad story. I hope others kids read about this. Maybe, just one will not follow in their path. Children are supposed to be our hope for the future. But more and more they simply explode. Whatever happened to respect.

[kasey]

What I have to say about this is blunt yet true. Though they where only kids we all know that they were and still are headed in the same direction as their former friend. I just hope that they learned from this incident before their next hiest cost's them their lives too!!! That way of life proves its' self over and over again to be very deadly.
Who, and where are their parents now?

[clem]

Sounds to me like thugs from rival gangs had an altercation and the better armed gang killed one and one.

[peabo]

the baddest gang won

[newshawk]

The attempted murder of a police officer is under emphasized in the headline and story. Yes, he was only 16 but how old do you have to be to commit murder? It's a horrible way to die and I feel for his family but how can you be so foolish to think that someone carrying a gun isn't going to use it if you try to kill them?

[fern T]

GAWDD **** MEXIcANS.DER TEKEN UR GERBS!!!! GAWD **** MEXICANS GARBLE GARBLE GARBLE GARBLE>>> that what's wrong with you dense citizens. Always stereotyping when that has nothing to do with this. what ?you think you're good parents??? hahahaha , teach a class, then ,maybe it will sound like you care about the future of this country instead of always trying to blame somebody else for your shortcomings.Ever heard of lead by example? Grow up and take responsibility for your mistakes and maybe you wouldn't walk around with a chip on your shoulders.all you do is promote hate and fear just like your media and government does to you. Do you feel better now?? go watch your morning news and watch your reality shows to keep up with the "news" and feel better about yourselves.

You now by not doing anything,being bystanders,and being passive is not much different than being scum.

[kgoddess]

Buncha useless punks

[MICHELLE]

it truely doesnt matter if he was born here are not. NEVER DID I ONCE READ IN HERE THAT DUE TO HIS RESIDENCE STATUS HE WAS SHOT!!!!! That doesnt make him what he is today. Maybe he was crying out for help thats why he kept getting in trouble. They will release his criminal background why dont they release his name? We are nobody to judge him we dont no how his life had been growing up. Im not saying it is right what he was are had been doing. BUT THERE IS TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY. of course we hear the cops side and just believe it.

[Daniel]

ANother one removed from the gene pool. Well done. Remember the rule: Don't bring a knife to a gun fight!

[HURT TEENAGERS]

FIRST OF ALL THIS BOY WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN THE UNITED STATES!!!!!! Joao Palma will be loved and missed by all HIS TEENAGE FRIENDS,PARENTS,FAMILY AND BROTHERS!!!! HE ISNT THE ONE THAT STABBED THE COP BUT HE WAS THE ONE TO GET SHOT IN THE "HEAD AT 16 YEARS OLD!!!!" MISLEAD MISGUIDED STILL JUST 16 YEARS OLD!!!!! THE COP WAS AN UNCOVERED COP THAT NEVER IDENTIFIED HIMSELF WHEN HE GRABBED THE BOY...DOESNT JUSTIFY THE COP GETTING STABBED BUT MAYBE THE COP SHOULD HAVE SHOWED HIS BADGE.