Police Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Suspect in Slaying of Whittier Officer Arrested 5 Times in Last 7 Months

A man suspected of killing a Whittier police officer in a shootout Monday, hours after slaying his cousin, was arrested five times in the past seven months while under supervision of county authorities as part of a controversial program many law enforcement agencies blame for an uptick in crime, according to records and authorities.

February 22, 2017
Suspect in Slaying of Whittier Officer Arrested 5 Times in Last 7 Months

Michael Christopher Mejia is suspected of killing Whittier, CA, police officer Keith Boyer on Monday. (Photo: LASD)

1 min to read



A man suspected of killing a Whittier police officer in a shootout Monday, hours after slaying his cousin, was arrested five times in the past seven months while under supervision of county authorities as part of a controversial program many law enforcement agencies blame for an uptick in crime, according to records and authorities.

Michael Christopher Mejia, 26, of Los Angeles, was identified Tuesday as the suspect in the fatal shootings of Whittier police Officer Keith Boyer and 46-year-old Roy Torres, the suspect’s cousin.

Ad Loading...

Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau said Mejia was released from state prison in April 2016 following a grand theft auto conviction in 2014. He was on county probation under Assembly Bill 109 when he allegedly shot and killed Boyer and Torres and had been arrested multiple times in recent months for violating his probation, Corina told the Orange County Register.

Signed into law in 2011, AB 109 mandated “realignment,” which shifted nonviolent offenders from state prisons to county jails, or placed them on probation under county supervision rather than parole under state supervision. It was a response to a U.S. Supreme Court order declaring the condition of California’s overcrowded prisons as violating the constitutional rights of inmates.

Ad Loading...

More Patrol

dark ballistic sunglasses against a blue smokey background
PatrolJanuary 21, 2026

EOTech & Fast Metal Introduce the EOTech Halen Ballistic Spectacle System

Built on the proven Halen platform, the new EOTech x Fast Metal Halen Ballistic Spectacle System is the only aluminum frame listed on the U.S. Army’s Authorized Protective Eyewear List.

Read More →
Black background, outline of Florida, headline 2 Officers Shot
Patrolby Wayne ParhamJanuary 14, 2026

2 Florida Officers Shot After Shots-Fired Call

Two officers were shot in Gainesville, Florida, by a man who police say was leaving an area where he had killed a man inside a business. The suspect exited his vehicle in what the chief termed an “ambush-style” attack.

Read More →
Blue-tinted background photo of hand hanging up an office phone and headline Richmond Heights PD: Harassment and Threats Will Be Addressed Accordingly
PatrolJanuary 14, 2026

Mistaken Identity: Ohio Police Department Harassed After ICE OIS

An Ohio police department has received harassing phone calls and social media messages because it has an officer with the same name as the ICE officer identified in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, officer-involved shooting.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Black background with POLICE logo, police light bar, and headline Top 10 Videos of 2025.
Patrolby Wayne ParhamJanuary 7, 2026

Top 10 POLICE Videos of 2025

What were the top videos published by POLICE in 2025? Many covered tactics and officer safety, while others came from booth visits at IACP in Denver, Colorado. In case you missed these, here are the top 10 videos.

Read More →
Blue tinted background of a police dispatcher with headline Flock Safety + Coreforce Integation
TechnologyJanuary 7, 2026

Flock Safety and Coreforce Partner to Enhance Real-Time Awareness and Operational Efficiency for Law Enforcement

A new integration partnership will enable Flock Safety hotlist alerts and license plate recognition (LPR) searches directly in Coreforce’s Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) and Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) platform.

Read More →
three background images - man in tactical gear, image of ballistic helmet, photo of police officer in tactical gear approaching a car, and a circle with logo for Ballistic Armor Co.
PatrolJanuary 7, 2026

Ballistic Armor Co. Secures Strategic Investment to Expand U.S. Production Capabilities

Ballistic Armor Co. secured a new commitment that will accelerate its multi-year transition from a third-party tactical equipment retailer to a premium innovator and U.S. manufacturer of advanced protective systems.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
image of men on bicycles and women competing in martial arts and a log for the US Police & Fire Championships
PatrolDecember 10, 2025

Police & Fire Championships Expands Athlete Eligibility

The US Police & Fire Championships is now open to all employees – sworn, civilian, administrative, technical, and support staff – who work directly for an eligible public safety agency.

Read More →
Thumbnail for video series POLICE Topics, Tactic & TIps against a black background and an illuminated police car light bar. Headline for Tips for Watching the Hands
Sponsoredby Wayne ParhamDecember 5, 2025

Tips for Watching the Hands

How can officers better “watch the hands”? Mike Willis, Law Enforcement National Training and Program Director for the US Deputy Sheriff's Association, shares some tips.

Read More →
Thumbnail for video series POLICE Topics, Tactics & Tips with yellow headline 10 Tips for Felony/High-Risk Stops.
Sponsoredby Wayne ParhamDecember 3, 2025

10 Tips for Felony/High-Risk Stops

What steps can officers take to stay safer during felony or high-risk vehicle stops? Here are 10 tips from Mike Willis, Law Enforcement National Training and Program Director for the US Deputy Sheriff's Association.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Screenshot of compute screen showing a blurred license plate compared to an image where the image has been enhanced to show the numbers and letters.
Patrolby Edited by StaffNovember 25, 2025

Amped Highlights Power Behind Amped FIVE Software

Amped FIVE empowers you to advance your investigations with confidence and precision, from the crime scene all the way to the courtroom.

Read More →