Suspect in Stockton officer shooting death was on parole for armed theft in L.A.

The man police say fatally shot a Stockton officer responding to a domestic violence call on Tuesday had previously been arrested in Los Angeles on firearms charges and was on parole for the armed theft of a car, court records show.

Lance Lowe, 30, was arrested Feb. 5, 2017, on Olympic Boulevard near Francisco Street in downtown Los Angeles on weapons charges. He listed himself as an Oakland resident at the time. The L.A. County district attorney charged Lowe with grand theft auto with a firearm, conspiring to commit a crime, child endangerment, possession of an assault weapon and carrying a loaded firearm in a car or public place. All but the grand theft charge was ultimately dismissed.

Although Lowe was sentenced in 2018 to five years in prison, he was released in April 2020 on supervised parole, according to Dana Simas, a spokeswoman with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

According to corrections officials, Lowe received credit for more than a year he had already served in jail before his 2018 sentencing. Inmates usually receive one day of credit for each day they serve in county jail.

“He was released to parole supervision in April 2020 after serving his full sentence as defined by law,” Simas said in a statement.

After his release, Lowe moved to the Stockton area, where police on Tuesday responded to a home where a domestic disturbance call initiated. A 911 caller had reported seeing a woman outside screaming and bleeding with a ripped shirt, Police Chief Eric Jones said.

Officer Jimmy Inn approached the front door and knocked. As the officer stood to one side of the door, authorities said, Lowe yelled, “Hey, police,” before opening fire and shooting Inn. The chief called the attack on the six-year Stockton officer “violent, blatant and a very sudden assault.”

A second officer, Pancho Freer, arrived and was also shot at by Lowe, police said. The officer returned fire before Lowe briefly retreated into the home, grabbed an 8-year-old boy — later identified as his son — and tried to strangle the child, Jones said.

Freer directed Lowe to release the boy, officials said, but he did not. Cellphone video recorded a bystander tackling the armed man while he held the child. Freer then opened fire, shooting Lowe.

Paramedics took Inn and Lowe to a hospital, where both died.

“Officer Jimmy Inn was responding to a domestic violence report, to assist a domestic violence victim, and he died protecting those who cannot protect themselves,” Jones said. “He gave the ultimate sacrifice, knowing this was a dangerous job.”

Inn leaves behind his wife, Tela, a fellow Stockton police officer; a 7-month-old son; a 12-year-old stepdaughter; and a 14-year-old stepson, authorities said.

His death was the second in the line of duty of a police officer in California in 24 hours. An officer was killed and another wounded in San Luis Obispo on Monday while serving a search warrant before officers shot and killed the gunman, police said.

Luca Benedetti, a 12-year law enforcement veteran, was one of six officers assisting with serving a warrant for stolen property at an apartment when a gunman opened fire from inside about 5:30 p.m. Monday, San Luis Obispo Police Chief Rick Scott said.

The suspect, identified as Edward Zimon Giron, 37, was found dead. He suffered gunshot wounds in a shootout with officers but also shot himself inside the apartment, police said.

A second officer, Steve Orozco, was wounded. He was treated and released from Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center on Monday evening.

So far in 2021, nine California police officers have died in the line of duty. The latest shootings occurred during National Police Week.