Report: California officers shot in ambush were not verbally warned that suspect had gun, was on PCP

EL MONTE, Calif. (AP) — A 911 recording shows a California police dispatcher failed to tell two officers before they were fatally shot by a convicted gang member that the suspect reportedly had a gun and was under the influence of drugs. El Monte Police Officer Joseph Santana and Cpl. Michael Paredes were killed in 2022 while responding to a report of a stabbing at a Los Angeles area motel. The gunman, Justin Flores, then killed himself. The Southern California News Group reported Saturday the stabbing victim’s mother told the dispatcher Flores was on drugs and armed. That information wasn’t communicated over the radio but was typed into a dispatch system visible to officers on their digital displays.