Man Suspected Of Killing Whittier Police Officer To Appear In Court

BELLFLOWER (CBSLA.com) — The man suspected of gunning down a Whittier police officer after being accused of killing his own cousin is expected to appear in a Bellflower court Monday.

Michael Mejia was charged last week with capital murder. Prosecutors say he killed his cousin on February 20, stole his car, crashed it and then killed officer Keith Boyer, when he responded to the call. Boyer, 53, was a 27-year veteran of the Whittier force.

Mejia, 26, was released from the super-maximum Pelican Bay State Prison in April and placed on probation with county supervision, instead of parole with state supervision, under a reform measure known as Assembly Bill 109 that was enacted by state legislators in 2011.

If Mejia is convicted, he could be put to death. Whittier officer Patrick Hazell was also shot and wounded at that scene.