Misty Holt-Singh, 41, had just run into the Stockton, California bank and left her 12-her-old daughter in the car for a quick transaction. In an instant, her life would change as Gilbert Renteria Jr., Jaime Ramos, and Alex Martinez came in to rob the bank. They took Singh hostage and fled in a car. However, the police were quickly on their tail and trapped the car. She may have had a glimmer of hope. After all, there were some 33 police officers surrounding the car. That is when the Stockton police opened up on the car and fired over 600 bullets — killing Holt-Singh, 41, and two of the bank robbers. The family is preparing to sue and saying that the response was excessive and ignored the hostage. Singh was hit 10 times — all from the guns of the police.
The bank robbers had taken Holt-Singh clearly as a human shield and led the police on a high-speed car chase in a car stolen from a bank employee. Witnesses say that Holt-Singh was crying and saying that her daughter was in the car and that she did not want her daughter to be traumatized by seeing her with the robbers. The three robbers could care less, of course.
Two other female hostages were thrown from the car. Holt-Singh was not so lucky.
In the car was Alex Gregory Martinez, 27, Gilbert Renteria Jr. (right), 30, and Jaime Ramos, 19. Ramos (left), a member of the Nortenos street gang, would be the only one to survive.
Martinez (right) had robbed the very same bank just six months earlier. The police say that the men had fired from the car windows and an AK-47 was shown next to the car. Police say that the men fired 100 bullets. They responded with reportedly over 600, though the specific number has yet to be confirmed. What is notable is that 20 officers have been put on leave as a standard procedure in an investigation for officers who discharged their weapons. Police insist that they were concerned that other hostages could be taken or that the men could enter a business or a school. It is not clear if the men were on the move to justify such a fear and, if so, how Holt-Singh was shot. The accounts say that she and the men were shot in the car, which presumably was trapped and had had the tire blown out.
However, the family has raised questions similar to the Montesano case that we discussed earlier. The family is seeking more evidence in the case. The public is also entitled to know more about an incident where hundreds of rounds were fired by police into a car with at least one hostage. However, if as reported Ramos used her as a human shield. This does not necessarily mean that the shooting was unjustified but this is a case where total transparency should be the rule.
Many of these rounds were fired during the hour long chase that extended to 55 miles. The police fired a reported 600 bullets into the car that had originally a number of hostages and clearly had at least one remaining.
Jaime Ramos will now be charged with murder. While it was the police who killed Holt-Singh, he is criminally responsible for the death under a felony-murder theory.
Kudos: Michael Blott
After 100 rounds fired from the bad guys and 600 rounds from the cops….
Should an Apache AH-64 have been called in? Sometimes these guys fight to the death, just like suicide jihadists. By the way, this “Nortenos street gang” should be destroyed.
Well, she shouldn’t have resisted arrest, just like the pit bull yesterday.
Overreaction by cops. Not news. Regrettably.
@mespo – the report also says they don’t know if other hostages were in danger. Doesn’t appear any civilians were shot but the hostage the police were hired to protect and serve – once again, if the bank robbers were surrounded, the police should have cleared the area to ensure safety of other civilians. And then the advantage of time and resources are in the favor of police.
Of course, there is always the plan to just shoot, shoot and shoot and then rely on gun nuts to immediately make excuses for not considering other, possibly safer, options.
mespo727272
USA Today reports that gang member Ramos used the helpless victim as a human shield. Not sure what the police could have done differently to avoid more carnage from these murderers.
=========
Mespo they could have done a hell of a lot differently!!
They could have not responded. What they did was protect the counterfeited (fractional reserve) pieces of paper for a human life. If they had not responded this lady, wife and mother, would most likely be alive.
From all of the forensic evidence they still could have found and prosecuted the men who stole nothing……
Police can ALWAYS turn a bad situation into a worse one….
What really happened was that bank robbers stole counterfeited money from criminals called a bank, that the police really work for, That can not allowed and they murdered your next door neighbor/soccer mom to protect the interests of the criminal banks.
This is tragic. I hope Darren shares some perspective on this.
Bill W:
The report says the robbers were firing from the car and clipped off over a 100 shots. Can you imagine the civil payout if the murderers killed bystanders and the cops did nothing?
Happy:
Don’t know how your first sentence leads to the rest of the comment but hey like you say you’ve been up all night. As for people complaining about racism, I can see how that would bother you. I bet you aren’t crazy about the poor victims here complaining about bank robbers. Overreacting i’m sure you’d say.
Mespo727272 I can’t even wrap my mind around that you know? I am afraid I would go insane if I did so I won’t. I am simply disagreeing with you. We can agree to disagree. That is what people do in polite society. But I was being a smart aleck about it. Why, because that seems to be everyone’s way around here.
All I ever see is people making thinly veiled racist comments all the time. They say they are tired of the “Black Moors” or whatever you want to call it. The latest I heard was they were over in Norway raping woman so they had to dye their hair black. There are people on this thread that would go right into this sort of behavior if prompted. This is the link that came across the desk last night, http://www.conservativeinfidel.com/uncategorized/watch-muslim-immigration-brought-increase-rape-norway-many-women-dying-hair-black/ Now. I don’t buy into any of this, I am just sharing with you, but if you prefer to not agree, that’s okay also. Just sharing what comes across my desk no matter how trashy. 🙂
@mespo – if the situation were contained (the word “surrounded”) then 33? 25? I don’t know. Likely more were on the way. With the information provided we only know surrounded. Are you stating that the hostages were a flight risk and only bullets could end the situation? doesn’t appear to be enough info. for that. But having worked the public entity insurance part for a number of years, suspect there may eventually be a civil payout.
Police only “protect and serve” themselves. Hostages and civilians are expendable.
Happy:
Just a thought and following up on your salient comment about the insane, you know schizophrenia can cause insomnia.
Bill W:
What number would you consider reasonable? 25?
No, happy the enlightened general public isn’t racist. It’s just some random Neanderthals that are. Most people call it like they see it. Ideologues always blame their bogeyman of choice. Sure Obama didn’t cause this crime?
Mespo, I don’t know where You live or who you talk to, but all I ever hear any more is complaints about Ferguson and Black people playing the race card. I get tired of it. You must breath rarified air. The air on this Blog is certainly not rarified. People on this blog hate religion pretty much and blame religion for all the woes of the world. There is always a bogeyman. Always.
I was being facetious as I have been having trouble sleeping lately and I have been on the internet all night long listening to baffling brilliance that you can only get from the insane
If the “there were some 33 police officers surrounding the car is correct”, then this appears to be a case of excessive force and endangering a civilian. It is likely we only have a portion of the story, but what is the point of “Protect and Serve” when the police response seems to be “we have more bullets then you” with no to little thought for the hostage.
Who is “they” there, happy?
The general public. Mespo. The enlightened general public. don’t you know????
Well, this time they can’t say it was a Black Man
USA Today reports that gang member Ramos used the helpless victim as a human shield. Not sure what the police could have done differently to avoid more carnage from these murderers.
Reblogged this on Awakestate and commented:
More excessive use of force!