Crime & Safety
Alleged Drunk Driver Asks JPL Security to Shoot Him
Security officers at Jet Propulsion Laboratory allegedly used pepper-spray on a motorist who drove through the gate and resisted officers' orders earlier this month.
A 46-year-old man allegedly drove past a security checkpoint at , crashed into a pop-up-column and asked gun brandishing security officers to shoot him, according to a sheriff's report.
Ernesto Perdomo, of Los Angeles, suffered injuries when his truck slammed into the columns on the grounds at 4800 Oak Grove Drive on June 3.
Sheriff's deputies said Perdomo stayed in the car when asked to get out at gunpoint by JPL officers.
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Perdomo left the truck and told the officers to shoot him, the report states.
A JPL security officer ordered Perdomo to lie on the ground and, when Perdomo did not, the officer pepper sprayed him.
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When deputies from arrived on the scene, he noticed that Perdomo allegedly had a strong scent of alcohol. Perdomo was then sent to Huntington Memorial Hospital for his injuries from the collision with the columns, from which he received lacerations on his head.
Based on Perdomo’s driving pattern, alleged failing to stop at a security check point, and signs of possible intoxication, the officer came to the conclusion that Perdomo was driving under the influence and he was arrested.