Stepfather of murdered officer blasts liberal California DA Gascón for reportedly downsizing gang unit

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Stepfather of murdered California officer slams LA DA Gascón for reportedly disbanding or downsizing gang unit

Don Clark, the stepfather of murdered California officer Keith Boyer, says he doesn't 'see anything good coming out of anything' Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón has been doing so far in office.

Don Clark, the stepfather of murdered California officer Keith Boyer, argued on Wednesday that under the leadership of Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón "it seems like the criminals are getting the upper hand and it’s because of the people that are supposed to be running that office."

"I lay it all on Gascón," Clark told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday, adding that he doesn’t understand the logic behind the district attorney’s decisions.

Last month, Gascón said he will not seek the death penalty for an admitted gang member who killed Boyer, 53, and his own cousin in 2017. Boyer was responding to a report of a traffic collision in which Michael Christopher Mejia, 30, had been involved.

This undated photo provided by the Whittier Police Department shows Whittier police officer Keith Boyer. On Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, Boyer was answering a report of a traffic accident when he was shot and killed, authorities said.  (Whittier Police Department via AP)

Authorities said Mejia shot Boyer and another officer, Patrick Hazell, while trying to flee the scene of the crash. Hazell survived a shot to the abdomen.

Michael Christopher Mejia

Deputy District Attorney Garrett Dameron said during a hearing at Norwalk Courthouse that he had been ordered to remove the death penalty consideration, despite his own objection and that of Deputy DA Geoff Lewis, Fox LA reported.  

Clark made the comments one day after Fox LA reported, citing multiple sources within the Los Angeles County DA's Office, that Gascón is planning to severely downsize or outright dissolve the office's Hardcore Gang unit, which could happen as early as next month.

The unit is reportedly responsible for prosecuting the most complex gang-related crimes in Los Angeles County.

The prosecutors, who spoke anonymously, said they feel they've already been hamstrung by Gascón's decision to ban them from using gang and gun enhancements, adding that disbanding the unit will have disastrous consequences given the increase in violent crime in Los Angeles, Fox LA reported.

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Clark told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday that he doesn't "see anything good coming out of anything" Gascón has been doing so far in office.

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Gascón took office in December and announced a slew of changes including stopping the use of sentencing enhancements, restricting when prosecutors can hold defendants without bail, ending the use of the death penalty in L.A. County and banning the practice of trying juveniles as adults. 

"It just makes me sick when I hear other victim’s families and the way they’ve been treated and it just sickens me," Clark said.

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A spokesperson for Gascón did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace and Peter Aitken contributed to this report.