Los Angeles retrial begins for Gene Atkins over Trader Joe's shooting incident
Gene Atkins faces a second trial in Los Angeles for the death of Trader Joe's employee Melyda Marciela Corado, who was struck by police fire during a standoff.
A Los Angeles man, Gene Atkins, is on trial for the second time after a jury previously could not reach a unanimous verdict on a second-degree murder charge related to the death of 27-year-old Melyda Marciela Corado. Corado died after a police bullet hit her while Atkins fled into a Trader Joe's store and exchanged fire with officers. Prosecutors are pursuing a conviction under the provocative act theory, asserting that Atkins' actions provoked the police shooting.
The case also includes 39 additional counts, including attempted murder of his grandmother and girlfriend, kidnapping, and false imprisonment during a three-hour hostage situation inside the market. Atkins' attorney, Errol Cook, declined to make an opening statement, and the defendant was largely absent from the courtroom. The city previously settled a wrongful-death claim with Corado’s family for $9.5 million, while maintaining that the officers acted lawfully.
Why it matters
The trial tests a legal theory that can hold a suspect liable for deaths caused by police responding to his violent actions.
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