An Anaheim mayoral candidate is being called to resign after she publicly said the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old probationer who wounded a police dog "saved us a trial."
Anaheim Councilwoman Lucille Kring wrote the statement in question one day after Anaheim police officers shot and killed Robert Moreno, the gunman accused of opening fire on officers before shooting Anaheim K-9 Bruno in the mouth.
"The shooting saved us a trial. Always a good outcome," Kring wrote in an email thread sent to hundreds of homeowners in the city's historic Colony District.
The comments come at a time when the city of Anaheim is still reeling from back-to-back police shootings in 2012, which sparked unrest and calls for a citizen panel to oversee the Anaheim Police Department.
One resident pushing for Kling's resignation is Donna Acevedo, a woman whose son was shot and killed by Anaheim police in 2013.
Acevedo is now running for her own seat on the council, and she kicked off her campaign with demands for Kling to step down.
"Especially her comments, they're just really disgusting, and it doesn't make the community feel like that there is any kind of healing going on" Acevedo told NBC4.
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Acevedo has openly expressed her anger with Kring in past council meetings.
"You should step down from where you're sitting now, because you have no business sitting there. You don't represent the city, you don't care about people," Acevedo said before the crowd broke into applause at a council meeting.
In the city's most recent police shooting, officers were conducting a probation check on Moreno on March 20 when shots were fired at police. After the K-9 found Moreno hiding in a trash bin, he shot the dog, prompting police to return fire and kill Moreno.
The outpouring of support for Bruno, whom Kring hailed a hero, has garnered media attention. And that attention is prompting frustration for some Orange County residents who feel Moreno's death deserved more recognition.
Moreno's friend, Manuel Gonzalez.set up a memorial for Moreno Wednesday night and called Kring's comments cold-hearted.
"He didn't deserve to die like that you know," Gonzalez said. "They care more about the dog than a human being."
Kring made a public apology for her comments at Tuesday night's council meeting.
"The loss of a human life is always a tragedy. He was somebody's son, maybe an uncle, maybe a father maybe a brother," Kring said. "I apologize unreservedly for any statement, and I hope you will forgive me."
Kring also said her comments do not reflect her human values. Calls to her office by NBC4 were not returned by time of publication.
