Despite a disturbing video showing him viciously beating her, stealing her gun, and firing at her, a former California sheriff’s deputy is coming out after her attacker was acquitted. The 2019 incident suspect, Ari Young, was found not guilty by a jury of attempted murder and assault.
Caught on tape, the two can be seen grappling as they collapse to the ground, moments before he seizes her gun and fires at her as she runs away. Meagan McCarthy, a former officer with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, appeared on “Fox News @ Night” to talk about the terrifying episode.
McCarthy said, “I was in so much pain from the broken bones and the punches to my face that the only thing that crossed my mind was that I just got murdered.” “And by the grace of God, a malfunction saved my life. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t be here today,” she continued.
“So I turn, and I run away, and I hear another gunshot go off, and I know he’s firing at me as I’m running away.” A California jury acquitted Young of attempted murder and assault on a peace officer but found him guilty of careless discharge of a firearm. The jury deadlocked on numerous other charges, including resisting arrest.
Defense attorney Raj Malin told Los Angeles’ ABC 7 that McCarthy lacked probable cause to pat down his client, a schizophrenic, upon her arrival.
“The issue was, was the initial detention of Mr. Young legal?” he told the station. “If it’s not, then he’s not guilty. … He could punch her 100 times, and it wouldn’t matter.” As soon as McCarthy stepped out of her police car, she observed a man who had “clenched fists” come outside and then “bee-line” in her direction.
His mother was standing behind him, holding a knife while still talking to dispatch. “It’s just heartbreaking for the whole institution of law enforcement,” McCarthy said.
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“You’re called to help someone, and somehow you become the villain. Somehow I didn’t do something right where somebody thought that they could take a police officer’s gun, pointed out their forehead, pull the trigger, and you walk free.”
“It just blows my mind that that happened. I just sit here, and I wonder, how did we get to that point?” she continued. McCarthy reported that Ari Young, the suspect, appeared “very angry” upon seeing her as the first deputy to arrive at the residence.
A neighbor’s cellphone footage clearly shows him beginning to punch her in the face. She fell to the ground as he kicked and punched her, and he grabbed her gun and started shooting at her. She got a black eye and shattered her thumb.
However, McCarthy expressed concern that the acquittal of her accused attacker would set a “precedent” that would lower morale in a police force that is already struggling with anti-police sentiment and manpower shortages.
The below tweet verifies the news:
Former California deputy shocked at acquittal of attacker who shot at her: ‘It just blows my mind’https://t.co/davwnGvQaT
— News Tron (@mejo7600) June 10, 2023
“That blows my mind that that is the precedent we’re setting for not just the community, but for law enforcement,” McCarthy said. “How do we tell the millions of cops tomorrow to go to work, kiss your loved ones goodbye, wear a bulletproof vest, and this is the back they have for you?”
“I was called to that house to help. She wanted my help,” she continued. “That gives me the exact cause of law enforcement to help someone, and the fact that these people believe that I did something wrong to the point where I almost lost my life is heartbreaking.”
Gallagher probed if she would advise her kids to go into police enforcement. She said it was a “tough” statement to make, but she eventually rejected it. “That’s tough because there is still a huge population that respect law enforcement and love law enforcement,” McCarthy said. “My husband works for the sheriff’s department. My sister works for the sheriff’s department.”
“I love the idea of law enforcement, but nowadays, I just can’t support it because that was the justice system that denied me my closure and my justice, so how do you go and tell people to work for that?” she continued.
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