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Attorney: Talk Of Lawsuit 'Premature' In Torrance Shooting

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — An attorney for two women who were fired on by police officers in Torrance during the ongoing search for triple homicide suspect Christopher Dorner said Friday that he does not expect to take legal action.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: SoCal Manhunt

Attorney Glen T. Jonas said 71-year-old Emma Hernandez was still recovering after she and her daughter, Margie Carranza, 47, were shot at on Redbeam Avenue early Thursday morning by Torrance Police officers.

Hernandez was reported to be in stable condition in ICU at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center after she was twice hit in the back, while Carranza received stitches on her finger after suffering an injury from shattering glass.

Despite calling the shooting a "blatant violation of protocol," Jonas told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO any talk of a lawsuit was still "premature".

Attorney:

"This is such a blatant violation of protocol and a textbook case of excessive force we would expect the city would want to talk to us and see what we can work out," Jonas said. He declined to provide any additional details.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck on Thursday said the officers thought the women's royal blue Toyota Tacoma matched the description of Dorner's dark-colored Nissan pickup truck.

"Tragically, we believe this was a case of mistaken identity by the officers," said Beck.

Jonas told KCAL9's Jeff Nguyen he finds such claims hard to believe.

"The vehicle is a different color. The license plate doesn't match. There's nothing there for you to start shooting people," said Jonas. "And even if they had the person in question… Mr. Dorner…you still have to give them an opportunity to get out. You can't just start administering street justice."

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