Deputy Charged in Death of Friend (Dailty Bulletin 070806) Prosecuters Choose Voluntary Manslaughter...

I really feel for the parents of Both these Young men. They are just starting out in there Life and they have their whole life ahead of them, and it makes you wonder what game it was that they were playing that would lead the barrel of the gun of one to go into the mouth of the other. When I was young, and I partied, very hard. I would say so hard that when I was there age I was so drunk I was driving out Highway 6, and Hauling pretty fast or I felt it was fast, It might not have been that fast after all, because we didn't do what the object of the game was. What My friend and I were trying to do was roll my truck. My 1978 Datsun pickup, I was driving out Highway 6, and then I would suddenly turn the wheel, as they say in boating "hard over", but the truck Skidded sideways, did a broady, sometimes we skidded a complete 180, or a 360 even once. My Buddy Jim Kenyon was with me. He was fresh out of the Service, and well, it was just before I got my Red Flatbed, but we never rolled. I don't know why. Laugh we laughed until our stomach ached, Jim did pass away however, he re joined the Army and died in his sleep. What they speculate is that he was bit by a mosquito, and caught malaria.

This is a very sad story, I feel badly for Christopher Sullivan. I really feel for his Parents right now, because both of the parents will have to live with this moment for the rest of their lives. I am sorry, that for what ever reason it happened.

Please if any of the parents see my BLOG and I know they most likely won't, I will keep praying for Christopher, and the family of Valdez.

BSRanch...

..................................................................................

Deputy charged in death of friend
Prosecutors choose voluntary manslaughter
By Rod Leveque, Staff Writer

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - A rookie L.A. County sheriff's deputy was charged with voluntary manslaughter Friday for shooting his friend in the head after a night of partying.

Prosecutors declined to file a more serious charge of murder against Christopher Sullivan despite evidence suggesting the deputy had placed his service weapon in Cesar Valdez's mouth when the gun discharged.

"We have no reason to think this was something sinister," Deputy District Attorney Thomas Colclough said. "It was very poor judgment that led to someone's death."

Sullivan, 24, is to be arraigned on the charges Monday in West Valley Superior Court.

Investigators say Sullivan is a graduate of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy and a Marine Corps reservist.

He had just started working for the sheriff when he was called to duty in Iraq.

He and Valdez were celebrating his return home when the shooting occurred April 9.

Prosecutors said Valdez and a woman, whom they declined to identify, drove Sullivan home at about 6:30 a.m. after their night out together.

Valdez, 24, of Chino, and Sullivan got out of a pickup truck and walked toward Sullivan's house to exchange goodbyes.

At some point, Sullivan pulled out his loaded 9 mm Barreta pistol and placed it in Valdez's mouth, prosecutors said.

The gun fired, and Valdez dropped to the ground in Sullivan's driveway.

Colclough said investigators don't know exactly how or why the gun ended up in Valdez's mouth. However, gunshot residue evidence shows that Sullivan was in possession of it when it went off, the prosecutor said.

The woman with the two men told police the men were happy together and she saw no fights or struggles between them in the seconds before the gunshot, Colclough said.

"It's a very unusual case," the prosecutor said.

Sullivan's attorney, David Goldstein, did not return a call seeking comment Friday.

A man who identified himself as Valdez's brother would not say Friday whether the family believes the charges are appropriate.

"We just want justice," said the man, who declined to give his name and then politely ended the conversation.

Sullivan was arrested after the shooting and then freed on bail.

He faces up to 21 years in prison if convicted of the manslaughter charge and an enhancement for gun use.

Colclough said prosecutors probably could have charged Sullivan with second-degree murder under the theory that the trained lawman knew placing a loaded gun in somebody's mouth was inherently dangerous to human life.

However, they filed the lesser manslaughter charge instead because Sullivan didn't appear to act with any overt animosity toward his friend.

"It's something that we might revisit after the preliminary hearing," the prosecutor said.

A second-degree murder charge along with a gun enhancement could carry a sentence of as much as 40 years to life in prison.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department refused to say Friday whether Sullivan is still employed.

Rod Leveque can be reached by e-mail at r_leveque@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-9325.