Murder Trial for Man Holding 2 Hostage Inside West Hollywood Apartment Postponed

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA -- The murder trial for the man accused of holding two men hostage at knifepoint inside a West Hollywood apartment has been postponed.

The trial for Alexander Tor McDonald, 30, was postponed until July 25, according to court documents.

On April 7, 2014, John Winkler and Liam Mulligan were watching basketball with Mulligan's roommate, 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.

The Winkler family's lawsuit alleged that 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 county has since paid $7.5 million to settle claims brought by both the Winkler and Mulligan families.

After the mistaken identity shootings, deputies at the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station have gone through several training exercises to prevent the tragedy from happening in the future.

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

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