After Accidental Shootings, WeHo Sheriff's Deputies Got Retrained: Report

West Hollywood, CA — Following the accidental shooting of two men who were fleeing their alleged attacker, one of whom died, the deputies at the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station have gone through several training exercises to prevent the tragedy from happening in the future, WeHoville.com reported.

On April 7, 2014, John Winkler and Liam Mulligan were watching basketball with Mulligan's roommate, Alexander McDonald, in their West Hollywood apartment when McDonald allegedly pulled a knife and threatened to kill the other two.

Mulligan as shot by sheriff's deputies as he rushed out of the apartment clutching his neck, where he had been stabbed. Winkler rushed out after McDonald and a sheriff's deputy opened fire mistakenly assumed that Winkler was using Mulligan as a human shield.

According to the Winkler family's lawsuit, before the shooting, a woman in the apartment complex showed deputies photos of McDonald and Winkler, identifying McDonald as the alleged assailant. One deputy showed the photo of McDonald to other deputies, saying "Alex is our guy," according to the suit.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which provides police services for West Hollywood, has refused to disclosed the specific "corrective measures" taken by the department, citing the California's Peace Officer’s Bill of Rights, WeHoVille reported.

The county has since paid $7.5 million to settle claims brought by both the Winkler and Mulligan families. McDonald, 29, is still awaiting trial on murder and other charges.

— Photo via Shuttersstock