A Chino police officer who killed a bystander she mistook for an armed robbery suspect was legally justified, despite her tragic error, prosecutors wrote in a report. Cpl. Claudia Lisner shot Daniel Balandran, a 23-year-old Rubidoux resident, outside a Papa John's pizzeria on Feb. 1, 2009. The victim happened to leave a nearby McDonald's with a friend and walk into a shootout between police and two men who had robbed the Papa John's. Balandran was wearing a black shirt, like one of the suspects and came from the general area where shots had been fired. Lisner said she believed Balandran and his friend were the ones exchanging fire with her colleagues on the other side of the pizzeria. In a poorly lit parking lot, Balandran continued to approach her and then ducked behind a car. When he emerged, Lisner noticed him holding something. She said she asked him to show his hands but he did not, according to the report. . The victim "suddenly turned" with the item, the prosecutor noted. Still hearing gunfire, and believing she was in danger, Lisner shot Balandran once in the chest. Under all the circumstances, her "split second" decision was reasonable and legal according to the DA. The item turned out to be a McDonald's food container.
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