Cop Who Shot Police Informant Cleared of Charges

An Escondido police officer who shot and killed a police informant has been cleared of charges by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, according to police.

Jennifer Favreau, a 31-year-old single mother, was hit by gunfire on Oct. 15, 2009 as police tried to stop Christopher Ramirez, 27, from leaving her apartment on East Grand Avenue.

Favreau spoke with a detective the morning she was shot to tell him that her boyfriend, Ramirez, who was a parolee, had stolen a car, police said.

Favreau’s family said police requested that she sit in the front seat with him, which contradicts what a detective told homicide investigators.

According to the D-A's final report, Detective Roger Cirilo told Favreau not to go with the suspect in the car.

When Ramirez drove toward the exit, officers in unmarked cars converged on him and blocked him in.

Undercover officers wearing protective vests with the word police written across them, began yelling "Police.. Stop."  But Ramirez backed up crashing into an unmarked police car.

He then accelerated forward at several officers including DetectiveTimothy Reiley, who opened fire four times at the drivers side of the car as it went past him. 

None of the bullets struck Ramirez although one missed his head by an inch.  Two of bullets hit Favreau who was sitting in the front passenger seat.  One bullet went through her left arm and into her torso, another struck her hip.

The car then crashed into two other police cars before it finally came to a stop and officers arrested Ramirez.

In a statement to investigators, detective reiley said quote "He was driving right at us.. I thought he was gonna hit me or Bodie... I thought I was gonna get hit."

The D-A called it a tragic case, but found Detective Reiley not criminally liable for Favreau's death, saying he didn't mean to shoot her.

β€œThe San Diego County District Attorney's office has concluded that no charges are merited,” said Lt. Craig Carter.

Ramirez survived but was sentenced to 11 months for violating parole.

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