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A Compton man faces the possibility of life in prison after he was convicted of trying to murder two deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in an ambush in September 2020.
Deonte Lee Murray, 39, was convicted by a jury on 10 counts, including attempted murder and carjacking, for opening fire on two deputies sitting in their vehicle outside the Martin Luther King Jr. Transit Center on Sept. 12, 2020, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Thursday.
Both deputies were seriously wounded and hospitalized in a case that gained national prominence alongside the comments of then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who labeled Murray a “coward.”
Villanueva blamed celebrities and politicians for “fanning the flames of hatred” toward law enforcement after the death of George Floyd.
Before Murray’s capture, the former sheriff challenged Lakers star LeBron James, a vocal critic of police brutality and racism, to donate to the fund being raised for information leading to Murray’s location, prompting James to issue a statement against all violence.
Aside from the attack on the deputies, Murray shot a man in the leg during a confrontation, stole his vehicle and shot another man outside the Compton Courthouse in the days leading up to the more well-known shooting.
Murray was eventually arrested three days after he fired on the deputies.
“Today, justice has been served,” Gascón said in the release. “The man responsible for ambushing and shooting two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies during a crime spree has been found guilty. This verdict reaffirms our commitment to protecting those who serve and sends a clear message that acts of violence will not go unpunished. We stand united, honoring the bravery of our law enforcement and upholding the principles of justice in our community.”
Murray faces a sentence of life in state prison.
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