USC, DPS officer sued over death of USC student
The McClellan Law Firm via YouTube
Captured on camera · Security footage of the incident shows Miguel Guerra’s car T-boning Kelsey Dresser’s vehicle as she turned onto campus at Gate 4 on Dec. 3, 2015. Dresser later died of her injuries.
The parents of a slain USC student filed a lawsuit against the University Wednesday, charging USC with the inadequate training of a Department of Public Safety officer who is currently charged with vehicular manslaughter.
Kelsey Dresser, a first-year USC graduate student in the Rossier School of Education, who killed in a crash with DPS officer Miguel Guerra on Dec. 3, 2015. Guerra was allegedly going nearly three times the speed limit at 69 mph when he smashed into the side of Dresser’s car as she was turning onto the USC campus. She died from head injuries in the hospital the following day.
The officer had been working consecutive graveyard shifts and his reaction time may have been impeded by the lack of sleep, according to the Los Angeles Times. Two empty energy drinks were found in his car.
Michael and Jill Dresser, the student’s parents, also sued Miguel Guerra for negligence and speeding. Los Angeles City Prosecutors charged Guerra with vehicular manslaughter in July.
Dresser, who graduated from University of California Santa Barbara in 2014 with a degree in psychology, worked as a research assistant at an autism center and strove to promote mental health awareness issues. She was beginning her graduate studies in marriage and family therapy.
A representative from DPS would not comment on ongoing litigation, but redirected people to a post on the DPS website expressing condolences to the victim’s family.
“Our officers dedicate themselves to protecting our students, staff, faculty and everyone who visits the University,” the statement said. “This is an unprecedented and heartbreaking event for our department. We offer our deepest condolences to Kelsey’s family, friends, classmates and faculty.”
Ironic isn’t it? When a person uses a car to kill, liberals blame the driver, but when a gun is used to kill liberals blame the gun… just a thought.
No one blames the gun, don’t be ridiculous. A gun is a tool that has no other use than killing or injuring another living thing. It also has the ability to kill numerous people very quickly at a significant distance. The number of potential casualties is greatly increased using a gun over other tools of violence. The killer will always be the one who wields the gun.
No one blames the gun? Wow, I must have missed that email. My bad…sorry, Amhuizar. I did not know Hillary Clinton changed her opinion since May of 2014:
HRC: “We’ve got to rein in what has become almost an article of faith that almost anybody can have a gun anywhere at any time. And I don’t believe that is in the best interest of the vast majority of people.”
Charles
HRC saying that wide spread ownership of guns is not in the best interest of society is not the same as saying guns and not those firing them are to blame for gun deaths. And incidentally believe it or not everyone doesn’t look to HRC to give us our opinions. Some of us are capable of forming our own opinions.
Because in a modern society, cars play a functional role.
And you need to register your car, take a test to prove you can operate your car and follow the law, and carry a license for your car.
oh pah-leeze…tell that to the nearly 1m illegals driving with no reg/lic/ins in the state of CA, not to mention those in TX and FL and get back to me. But, I do agree, following laws would be a great idea. Enforcing our laws would be even better. If only, huh?
Under current state law DPS officers/vehicles are not allowed to use their warning lights and sirens on public roads when responding to calls. A new law (AB 2361) that takes affect on January will allow this to change. DPS officers will be appointed reserve LAPD police officers – it they have graduated from a state approved police academy and completed 664 hours of training, which includes 40 hours of vehicle operations. The law clarifies and places into state statue the approach to campus security that Stanford and the University of the Pacific have been doing for many years.
Added to the California Penal Code on January 1, 2017 will be:
830.75. (a) Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 830.7, a person regularly employed as a security officer for an independent institution of higher education recognized under subdivision (b) of Section 66010 of the Education Code may be deputized or appointed by the sheriff or the chief of police of the jurisdiction in which the institution is located as a
reserve deputy or officer pursuant to Section 830.6, notwithstanding that he or she is compensated by the institution of higher education or that the assigned specific law enforcement functions and duties may be of a recurring or continuous nature, if both of the following requirements are met:
(1) The person meets the requirements specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 832.6.
(2) The institution of higher education and the appropriate local law enforcement agency have entered into a memorandum of understanding.
(b) The authority of a person designated as a peace officer pursuant to this section extends to any place in the state and applies only while he or she is engaged in the performance of his or her assigned duties for his or her institution of higher education pursuant to the memorandum entered into pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a). The primary duty of a person designated as a peace officer pursuant to this section shall be the enforcement of the law upon the campuses of his or her institution of higher education and within one mile of the exterior of those campuses, and in or about other grounds and properties owned, operated, controlled, or administered by that institution of higher education.
(c) Vehicles owned by an independent institution of higher education that are specifically designated for use by persons designated as peace officers pursuant to this section shall be deemed authorized emergency vehicles for all purposes of the law within the institution’s jurisdiction.
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