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Man jailed for shooting his own car

A man from the US has been sentenced to 90 days in jail for unintentionally instigating a seven-hour standoff by shooting at his own vehicle.

Lauriano Lawrence Lovato received a three-month jail sentence for initiating a prolonged standoff after discharging his firearm at his Camaro when it failed to start.

On April 13 at 9 am, Lovato allegedly attempted to start his car on a street in Los Angeles. After it wouldn’t start, he chose to shoot two rounds into the dashboard and windscreen, and then returned inside his home to take a nap.

Hearing the gunshots, neighbors notified the police, who arrived to discover shell casings scattered in the driveway.

Unaware of the nature of the situation, officers established a perimeter and summoned backup units, including a SWAT team, while attempting to make contact with Lovato, the homeowner.

Upon the SWAT team’s arrival, they forcibly entered Lovato’s residence, discovering him asleep on a sofa in a rear room.

He stated that he hadn’t heard the police, even though they used a loudspeaker and threw a communication device into his home.

After reaching a plea agreement with the prosecution, Lovato pleaded guilty to unlawfully discharging a firearm within city limits.

In addition to his jail time, he was mandated to undergo three years of probation.

Earlier this week, two police officers in Tampa were informed of one-week unpaid suspensions after one officer accidentally shot the other while they hurried to retrieve a key for an office desk.

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