US police kill girl in shoot-out with father

A Los Angeles police commander today defended the actions of officers who killed a young girl in a shoot-out with her father, one of three stand-offs in the past nine months in which officers killed suspects holding hostages.

“Those people did the absolute best job that they could,” said Capt. Scott Kroeber, who had been invited by community activists to a South Los Angeles coffee house. “When you’re being shot at, it’s very difficult to get off a precision shot.”