Bestselling author Jillian Lauren, who is the wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from an officer-involved shooting that occurred outside their Eagle Rock home on April 8th.
As Rolling Stone US reports, Lauren, 51, entered her not guilty plea on Tuesday to felony charges including willful discharge of a firearm in a gross negligent manner and assault of a person with a semiautomatic firearm. Prosecutors are also pursuing a firearms sentencing enhancement in the case.
According to reports from the Los Angeles Times, if convicted on these charges, the author could face up to 19 years in state prison.
The incident occurred when Los Angeles Police Department officers were conducting a search in a neighbouring yard for hit-and-run suspects who had fled from a nearby traffic collision. The LAPD claims that during this operation, Lauren racked her gun and fired it in the direction of police officers.
Body-worn camera footage and home-surveillance video later released by the LAPD appeared to show Lauren pointing her gun toward a fence behind which officers were positioned.
“The officers gave Shriner repeated verbal commands to drop the handgun, however, she did not comply,” LAPD Commander Alex Chogyoji explained in a case overview video. “Moments later, Shriner racked the handgun, pointed it at the officers and fired, resulting in an officer involved shooting.”
During the incident, Lauren was wounded, though specific details about her injuries have not been widely reported.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.
Following the shooting, Lauren was initially booked in absentia on suspicion of attempted murder and subsequently released on $1 million bail. Her attorneys have not responded to requests for comment on the case.
Lauren has established herself as a successful author, releasing her first memoir, ‘Some Girls: My Life in a Harem’, in 2010, followed by ‘Everything You Ever Wanted’ in May 2015. Both books achieved New York Times bestseller status.
The legal proceedings will continue with Lauren scheduled to return to court on 18th June for a preliminary hearing that will determine whether the case against her will proceed to trial.
