LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Transportation Security Administration officer
who was killed in a gunman's attack at Los Angeles International
Airport died two to five minutes after he was shot, coroner's officials
said Wednesday.
Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said the autopsy report isn't
finalized, but the detail was released after pressure to clarify when
TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez died. The final report is expected to be
released later this week, he said.
Hernandez was shot multiple times in the Nov. 1 shooting inside Terminal 3.
A preliminary coroner's report said a bullet hit Hernandez's aorta,
the main artery in the body, which would have caused massive bleeding,
according to a law enforcement official familiar with the findings. The
official was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation
and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
That official and another law enforcement official who was not
authorized to speak publicly said Hernandez didn't receive aid until 33
minutes after the shooting, when he was wheeled to an ambulance by
police because the area wasn't declared safe for paramedics to enter.
Officers had subdued the gunman in less than five minutes, they said.
The head of the TSA union said he was appalled by the delay. American
Federation of Government Employees President J. David Cox Sr. called
the situation "very concerning" and said there should be a serious
reexamination of TSA security policies.
It's not known if immediate medical attention could have saved
Hernandez's life, but officials were examining what conversations took
place between police and fire commanders to determine when it was safe
enough to enter, and whether paramedics could have gone into the
terminal earlier, one of the officials said. Formal conclusions could
take months.
Officers from multiple agencies bent down to check on Hernandez
before moving on within minutes of him being shot until he was taken
outside; no officers rendered first aid on scene, according to
surveillance video reviewed by the law enforcement officials.
Union officials had speculated that a more timely response might have saved Hernandez's life.
Marshall McClain, who represents the airport police union, said
medical response was delayed by a Los Angeles police officer who told
responders that Hernandez was dead. McClain said an airport police
officer told him he might have felt a faint pulse and immediately ran
Hernandez in a wheelchair to paramedics 150 yards away, outside.
It's unclear how the LAPD officer determined Hernandez was dead or if
he was qualified to do so. The coroner's finding indicates Hernandez
was probably already dead when the officer checked on him, five minutes
after he was shot.
A recent audit by Los Angeles Police Commission inspector found that
the LAPD had a zero percent compliance rate for state mandated first aid
and CPR refresher training, excluding its Metropolitan Division.
LAPD said it would investigate whether the veteran officer hindered
efforts to rescue Hernandez, as it always examines allegations against
officers.
The man charged with the shooting, Paul Ciancia, was transferred from
a hospital into U.S. Marshals custody of Tuesday. He could face the
death penalty if convicted of a federal murder charge.
Authorities say Ciancia targeted TSA workers in a vendetta against
the federal government when he pulled a semi-automatic rifle out of a
duffel bag and shot Hernandez, along with two other TSA workers and a
teacher who survived.
