When Michael Christopher Mejia was charged last year with killing a Whittier police officer and wounding another, many in law enforcement blamed California's efforts to reduce its prison population for failing to keep an admitted gang member like Mejia off the streets. The case is even mentioned in a proposed ballot measure to reverse some of the recent changes. But a review by The Times and the Marshall Project found a far more complex chain of events that allowed Mejia to remain free despite his record of criminal behavior. This timeline shows Mejia's record of rule-breaking before the killing.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 11, 2018 12:04 UTC