A reward for information that leads to the conviction of a gunman for shooting two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies has skyrocketed to nearly $700,000 in just a few days.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors initially offered a reward of $100,000 on Sunday for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the shooter, but the reward has since grown as other government agencies and private entities have added to the pot. By Thursday, the reward offering had jumped to $675,000, according to ABC News.
The Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs pitched in $75,000 and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which the deputies were monitoring when they were shot, donated an additional $25,000. Private donors gave $75,000 more to the offering.
A separate fund is also growing to help the two deputies shot in the incident recover. A GoFundMe page launched by sheriff’s detective Keegan McInnis and dedicated to paying the deputies’ substantial medical bills had soared past $660,000 by Friday morning on toward its goal of $750,000.
The GoFundMe page explains:
Two LASD Deputies were ambushed while sitting in their patrol car. Both Deputies will require multiple surgeries and have a long road to recovery ahead of them. We are asking for our brothers and sisters in our communities as well as our brothers and sisters in law enforcement to come together and help us raise money to ensure their needs and the needs of their families are taken care of.
We will be partnering with our union’s relief fund, ALADS C.A.R.E.S., who at the conclusion of the GoFundMe will take control of the funds and distribute them directly to the two Deputies.
Two Los Angeles County deputies, a 24-year-old man, and a 31-year-old mother, were shot on Saturday night by a gunman who can be seen on video walking up to their patrol car and firing multiple rounds through the passenger side window. Law enforcement officials said the attack was an ambush that left both deputies in critical condition.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva posted an update on Twitter on Wednesday that the one of the deputies, the 24-year-old man, was released from the hospital.
“We at @LASDHQ appreciate the outpouring of prayers and support you have shown for our ambushed deputies,” Villanueva said. “Great news, one of those deputies was released from the hospital today. He has a long road ahead for recovery. But he’s not alone. We, as a community, are in this together.”
We at @LASDHQ appreciate the outpouring of prayers and support you have shown for our ambushed deputies.
Great news, one of those deputies was released from the hospital today. He has a long road ahead for recovery. But he's not alone. We, as a community, are in this together.
— Alex Villanueva (@LACoSheriff) September 17, 2020
Earlier this week, Villanueva challenged NBA star LeBron James, known for his activism against police brutality, to donate to the growing reward to catch the person or people who carried out the attack on the deputies. James has yet to respond publicly to Villanueva.
“This challenge is to Lebron James. I want you to match that and double that reward,” Villanueva said. “I know you care about law enforcement. You expressed a very interesting statement about your perspective on race relations and on officer-involved shootings and the impact that it has on the African-American community. And I appreciated that. But likewise, we need to appreciate that respect for life goes across professions, across races, creeds, and I’d like to see LeBron James step up to the plate and double that.”