Suspect arrested in Calif. police officer killing

[November 10, 2010]  RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) -- Police and FBI agents swarmed a Southern California shopping center and arrested the suspected killer of a police officer who was shot to death while chasing a stolen truck suspect, investigators said Wednesday.

Earl Ellis Green, 44, a parolee and resident of nearby Rubidoux, was booked for investigation of murder in the shooting death of Riverside police Officer Ryan Bonaminio, Sgt. Dan Russell said in a statement early Wednesday.

Bonaminio was shot to death Sunday night after pulling over the driver of a stolen big-rig cab. The suspect had jumped from the truck and ran into a park with the 27-year-old Bonaminio chasing him on foot when the officer was shot.

More than a dozen officers, including members of the Inland Regional Apprehension Team, and FBI agents descended on the Riverside Target shopping center at about 8 p.m. Tuesday and arrested Green, the sergeant said.

After questioning by homicide detectives, Green was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center for investigation of murder and a parole violation.

The Riverside Press-Enterprise first reported the arrest Tuesday night.

Earlier Tuesday, Bonaminio's father pleaded during a news conference for someone to come forward and help identify a suspect.

"Let's put an end to this," Joseph Bonaminio said. "I'm looking for justice, that's all."

Bonaminio said his son's shooting death was especially painful because he had been so relieved to have his son home after two tours of duty in Iraq as an Army police officer.

"It's unfair," the grieving father said. "I'm sure the emotions would still be there had he lost his life in Iraq. But the emotions are higher here. This is the United States of America for crying out loud. We're a land of the free. And yet he loses his life doing what he loved to do."

Investigators said the officer's gun had not been recovered, and investigators were exploring the possibility that he was disarmed during a struggle and the suspect killed him with his own gun.

Bonaminio's funeral will be held at a Riverside church Nov. 16.

Bonaminio was born and raised in Riverside, a suburb of 300,000 people 60 miles east of Los Angeles. He returned to his hometown to be a police officer, as he had long intended to do, after serving his Iraq tours and a stint in Germany.

[Associated Press]

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