Regis Deon Thomas (born June 16, 1970)[1] is an American convicted murderer and Bloods gang member who was sentenced to death for the 1993 murders of Kevin Michael Burrell and James Wayne MacDonald, two officers in the Compton Police Department who were shot dead during a traffic stop in the City of Compton. They were the only Compton police officers killed in the line of duty in the department's 65-year history.[2] Thomas was also convicted of murdering another man in 1992 in Torrance, California.
Regis Deon Thomas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | June 16, 1970 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | 3 |
Span of crimes | 1992–1993 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | California |
Date apprehended | April 6, 1993 |
| Imprisoned at | San Quentin State Prison |
Background
editThomas was born on June 16, 1970. He was the oldest of four children and grew up in South-Central Los Angeles. He was a member of the Bounty Hunter Bloods street gang,[3] a Bloods subset based out of Watts, Los Angeles, California. Thomas was convicted of perjury in 1990.[4] He had once worked at a liquor store as a security guard, but the building was burned down during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, resulting in Thomas being out of work for a year.
Murders
editOn January 31, 1992, Thomas murdered Carlos Adkins in an apartment in Torrance by shooting him.[5]
Over a year later, on the night of February 22, 1993, at about 11 p.m., Compton Police Officer Kevin Michael Burrell, 29,[6] and Reserve Officer James Wayne MacDonald, 24,[7] made a routine traffic stop in Compton, at the intersection of Rosecrans Avenue and Dwight Avenue, on a red 1992 Chevrolet 454 pickup truck being driven by Thomas. As the officers exited their patrol car and approached the pickup truck, Thomas exited his vehicle and opened fire on both officers. Both officers were knocked down to the ground by bullet wounds. According to trial testimony, Thomas shot at their heads execution-style. Both officers were wearing bulletproof vests and were found lying face down near their patrol car with their guns holstered. There were nine spent nine-millimeter shell casings in front of the patrol car. Burrell died of multiple gunshot wounds to the arm, face, left foot, and head. MacDonald was also shot four times in his left armpit, middle back, upper back, and behind the right ear and died of a gunshot wound to the chest. After the shootings, Thomas returned to his truck and drove away.[8]
Trial
editNeither officer had notified dispatchers to report the traffic stop or request a background check on the truck's license plates. Detectives initially worked under the assumption that there were at least two assailants in the truck. Burrell and MacDonald were armed, but neither had even been given a chance to draw their gun. MacDonald and Burrell, a 5-year police veteran, were the second and third police officers killed on duty in the history of the Compton police force.[9] MacDonald was killed during his last ever shift as a volunteer reserve officer on the Compton force. A massive manhunt ensued after the officers' deaths, which led to five arrests in other cases, solving three murders and two attempted killings.[10] Compton police officers Timothy M. Brennan and Robert Ladd were a part of the task force that was formed in the wake of the murders that ultimately led to the arrest and conviction of Thomas.
Thomas was captured on April 6, 1993, when he surrendered to KTLA television reporter Warren Wilson.[10] He was found guilty of the murders and was sentenced to death on August 15, 1995.[11] He is currently on death row awaiting execution and is imprisoned at San Quentin State Prison. His CDCR number is J76200.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Adams, Emily (June 17, 1995). "Jury Urges Death Penalty for Killer of 2 Compton Officers". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021.
- ^ "Hundreds Mourn Compton Officer : Tribute: Friends remember James Wayne MacDonald as a compassionate person who had long wanted to be a policeman". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. February 28, 1993. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021.
- ^ "LOS ANGELES : Witness Jailed for Refusing to Testify in Murder Case". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. April 14, 1995. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021.
- ^ "COMPTON : Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in Killing of 2 Officers". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. April 16, 1993. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021.
- ^ "LOS ANGELES : Man Charged in Killings of 2 Officers, 1 Other". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. April 8, 1993. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021.
- ^ "Officer Kevin Michael Burrell". ODMP.
- ^ "Officer James Wayne MacDonald". ODMP.
- ^ "PEOPLE v. THOMAS". FindLaw. Los Angeles, California. February 23, 2012.
- ^ "Police Officer Dess K. Phipps". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). Retrieved 2021-10-14.
- ^ a b Adams, Emily (May 18, 1995). "Man Found Guilty in Killings of 2 Officers : Crime: He may face death penalty in 1993 Compton shootings. The case hinged on the testimony of a witness who said he heard the defendant brag about the murders". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021.
- ^ Wilgoren, Jodi (August 16, 1995). "Killer of 2 Compton Police Officers Sentenced to Death". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021.
- ^ "CDCR inmate locator".