Former Whittier police officer pleads guilty to shooting that left a man paralyzed
A former Whittier police officer has reached a plea deal with prosecutors, ending a criminal case stemming from a 2020 shooting that left an unarmed man paralyzed, officials said.
Salvador Murillo, 44, appeared in court in November on multiple counts of assault by a peace officer and assault with a deadly weapon, but the conviction was declared after three days of trial when a jury announced that they were deadlocked. The team was looking to convict Murillo on all charges related to the incident, when the detective now fired multiple shots at the fleeing suspect, Nicholas Carrillo, severing his spine.
At a hearing on Feb. 23, he was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to forfeit his license to serve as a police officer in California after pleading guilty to two counts of assault on a police officer, according to Josh Rubenstein, director of communications for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. Murillo must also complete 200 hours of community service and make restitution to Carrillo’s family, Rubenstein said.
“This sentence reflects the consequences officers face when they open fire on an unarmed person who flees,” Los Angeles County Dist. He said. Nathan Hochman said in a statement on Monday. “While the jury may not reach a unanimous verdict on the case, this plea confirms that the use of deadly force was unjustified, and was a criminal act. My office will continue to ensure that justice is served equally to everyone regardless of their position.”
Murillo’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Whittier Police Department could not be reached for comment.
Murillo and his partner at the time, Cynthia Lopez, were working undercover in April 2020 when they found a white Mitsubishi linked to a robbery at a local Walmart. Murillo requested that the Whittier police plane stop the Mitsubishi, his attorney said during a hearing last year.
Although Carrillo was driving the Mitsubishi that day, he was not a suspect in the robbery, which prosecutors say was carried out by his girlfriend at the time.
When confronted by a cruiser on the road, prosecutors say Carrillo backed up at a low rate of speed, hitting Murillo and Lopez’s camouflaged vehicle. Murillo said he was attacked; Prosecutors say the collision happened at less than 10 miles per hour and was “very serious.”
Lopez fired one round at the car after the collision, then fired two at Carrillo as he fled on foot. The video shows Murillo chasing Carillo down the street and around the corner. Murillo said he saw Carillo reach for his belt around his waist as he ran. He said that movement combined with Lopez’s shooting made him fear that the suspect had a weapon.
As Carillo began to climb a fence to escape, Murillo shot him four times, hitting Carillo twice in the back, prosecutors said. Another round severed Carrillo’s spine, leaving him permanently paralyzed. He died last week of a drug overdose, according to coroner’s records.
“We believe that there was no need for him to shoot four times at a man who was running away and was unarmed,” Deputy Dist. He said. Ryan Tracy said in his closing argument last year.
The assault charges against Lopez were dropped at the 2024 trial. He did not testify at trial.
