Soon Ja Doo is a Korean woman who is the co-owner of Empire Liquor Store in Vermont Vista, Los Angeles. On March 16, 1991, Soon Ja Doo shot Latasha Harlins, a 15-year-old African-American girl, in her convenience store.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Soon Ja Du was born on Saturday, December 27, 1941 (age 79 years; as of 2020) in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Soon Ja Doo and her family moved to Los Angeles in 1976 when she was 35 years old. He graduated from a university in Seoul, South Korea, where he studied literature.
Family and ethnicity
Soon Ja Doo starts practicing Christianity. Soon Ja Doo and her husband joined Valley Korean Central Presbyterian Church in North Hills, Los Angeles and even became deacons and deacons there.
parents and siblings
His father was a doctor, and his mother was a nurse.
Relationships, Husband and Children
On Monday, December 15, 1958, Soon Ja Doo married Billy Heung Ki Doo. The couple have three children; two sons, Joseph and Michelle, and a daughter, Sandy, who in 1991 was a theology student at Biola University.
Soon Ja Doo with her husband Billy Hyung Ki Doo
livelihood
Soon Ja Du began working as a couch assembler, and then, turned to crocheter at St. John Knits, a textile factory. In 1981, Soon Ja Doo and her husband Billy Heung Ki Do purchased Empire Liquor Store, a convenience store in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles.
murder of latasha harlins
On the morning of Saturday, March 16, 1991, Soon Ja Do shot Latasha Harlins, a 15-year-old African-American girl, at the Empire Liquor Store in Vermont Vista, Los Angeles. Reportedly, Du claimed she saw Harlins placing a bottle of orange juice in her backpack and asked Harlins if she wanted to pay for it, to which Harlins responded, “Which orange juice?” ?” So, Du grabs Harlins’ sweater, accuses him of theft, and snatches his backpack. Harlins responded by punching Du twice and knocking him to the ground. Harlins then retreated, but Du angrily threw a stool at her, but it did not hit Harlins. Harlins then picked up a bottle of orange juice that had fallen during the chaos, but Du snatched the bottle from him. Harlins then turned and tried to leave, but Du pulled a revolver from under the cash-counter and shot Harlins in the back of the head.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kiw6Q9-lfXc
Two eyewitnesses to the incident refuted Du’s claims and said that Du never asked Harlins about paying for the orange juice, instead calling her a “bitch”. After viewing the store security camera videotape, police concluded that Harlins wanted to pay for the drinks because she had money in her hand.
trial and punishment
Ja Du soon testified on his own behalf, and he claimed that he shot Harlins in self-defense because he believed his life was in danger. Du’s testimony was contradicted by two eyewitnesses and resurfaced video from a store security camera. The video specifically shows Dew shooting Harlins as he attempted to leave the store empty-handed. On November 15, 1991, the jury found Du guilty and returned a verdict that Du had fired the gun voluntarily. Since Du was guilty of voluntary manslaughter, the jury recommended the maximum prison sentence for the crime, which was 16 years. However, trial judge Joyce Carlin did not approve the jury’s recommendation and instead sentenced Du to five years of probation, 400 hours of community service, and a $500 fine. The court held that the crime was committed under extreme provocation and that Dew’s ability to act rationally in the situation was diminished by his previous experiences with robberies. In July, following the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the Harlins family was awarded $300,000 in a settlement.
Trial judge in the case of Joyce Carlin-Du v. Harlins
Facts/General Knowledge
- During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Du’s store was looted and burned, and it never reopened. The property later became a market under different ownership.
Coming Soon Ja Du’s Empire Liquor Store
- The Los Angeles Police Department ballistics report also stated that the handgun used by Du had been altered in such a way that it required much less pressure on the trigger than a normal handgun to fire.
- Rejecting the jury’s recommendation of a 16-year prison term, Joyce Carlin said,
Did Mrs. Du react inappropriately? Absolutely. But was that reaction understandable? I think it was.” Carlin said, “This is not the time for revenge…and no matter what sentence this court imposes, Mrs. Du will have to suffer the punishment every day for the rest of her life.”
- In 2020, Netflix released a documentary titled ‘A Love Song for Latasha’ celebrating the life of Latasha Harlins.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn