LAPD releases new video in chase, shooting that killed Trader Joe's manager

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FOX 11/ CNS) - Los Angeles police released additional video footage and audio recordings on Tuesday from the July 21 chase and gun battle that ended with the fatal shooting of a Silver Lake Trader Joe's assistant manager
by pursuing officers.

The Los Angeles Police Department previously released dashcam and officer body-camera footage of the pursuit of Gene Evin Atkins, 28, who allegedly shot his grandmother and a 17-year-old girl in South Los Angeles then led a pursuit in which he fired shots at police before crashing in front of the Trader Joe's store.

Atkins is accused of exchanging gunfire with police as he fled into the store, where assistant manager Melyda Corado, 27, was struck by a bullet fired at Atkins by an LAPD officer.

Atkins, who remains jailed on $23.1 million bail, is charged with Corado's killing, even though he did not fire the shot that struck her. Under state law, he was charged with her killing because he allegedly set off the chain of events that led to her death.

The additional material released by the LAPD Tuesday includes 911 calls from the original shooting in South Los Angeles, and more dashcam video during the ensuing pursuit that appears to show the suspect firing at pursuing officers through a window of the car he was driving.

Despite the release of additional material, however, Corado's family plans to hold an afternoon news conference calling on the LAPD to complete video and audio of the entire incident, calling the releases to date ``edited and highly produced.''

Atkins allegedly shot his 76-year-old grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Madison, as many as seven times and shot a 17-year-old girl around 1:30 p.m. July 21 at his grandmother's South Los Angeles home in the 1600 block of East 32nd Street. He then allegedly kidnapped the teenager and drove off in his grandmother's 2015 Toyota Camry. Police spotted him in Hollywood, sparking a chase in which Atkins fired shots at pursuing officers through the rear window of the Camry, according to Los Angeles police Chief Michel Moore. A short time later, Atkins crashed into a light pole outside the Trader Joe's in the 2700 block of Hyperion Avenue.

Atkins got out of the car and ran into the market, allegedly shooting at pursuing officers, who returned fire, striking the suspect in an arm but also hitting Corado, who had walked to the front entrance of the store when the car crash occurred, Moore said.

Atkins holed up inside the store for about three hours, holding multiple shoppers and store employees hostage, police said. Several hostages were released during the standoff, and Atkins eventually walked out and surrendered.

Atkins was originally facing 31 felony charges, but prosecutors later added 20 more counts -- many of them based on the number of people determined to have been in the Trader Joe's market when he ran inside. In addition to murder, Atkins is facing charges of attempted murder of a peace officer, assault on a peace officer with a semiautomatic firearm, false imprisonment of a hostage, fleeing a pursuing peace officer's motor vehicle while driving recklessly, grand theft of an automobile, driving or taking a vehicle without consent, discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, shooting at an occupied motor vehicle and assault with a firearm.

He could face a life prison sentence if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney's Office.