A man facing murder charges in the slaying of a Los Angeles County Sheriff's sergeant told investigators he fired one round at the sergeant, striking him in the face, before he "walked up and finished the job," according to a LA County District Attorney's Office memo made public this week.
Trenton Lovell said that he "emptied the whole five shots" from his revolver, killing Steve Owen, on Oct. 5, 2016 in Lancaster, the memo said. Owen was responding to a woman's 911 call about a man burglarizing her apartment when he was fatally shot.
Lovell, who was out on parole when the shooting occurred, was charged with the murder of the 53-year-old sergeant. Lovell is in jail with no bail, awaiting trial.
The memo posted online by the LA County District Attorney's Office explained prosecutors' legal analysis of the deputy-involved-shooting that followed Owen's murder. The DA's office concluded another deputy was legally justified in firing at Lovell.
The document details the sequence of events after Lovell fires a round from his revolver at Owen, striking him in the head.
"Lovell stated that Owen chased him and told him to 'freeze' as Lovell approached the front door of his residence," the document said. "Lovell stated he fired one round at Owen, striking him in the face. Lovell then 'walked up and [he] finished the job.' Lovell said that he 'emptied the whole five shots' from his revolver."
Lovell, 28, has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges. Monnica Thelen, the public defender representing Lovell, did not return messages seeking comment.
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The sheriff's department referred a call to the DA's Office. The DA's office declined to comment.
Owen's death triggered an outpouring of grief, with members of the public joining law enforcement officers at his funeral.
Owen's wife, Tania, remembered the sergeant as someone who "loved enforcing the law on horseback." She said law enforcement was not just a job but a calling for him.
"Everything that you have read about Steve, everything is true," she said in a ceremony earlier this year at a dedication to rename the The Tejon Park Equestrian Arena in his honor. "He was a great man, he was a great husband, he was a great father. And he has left a great legacy, not only with his children, but also with the department."
