With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Convicted cop killer Earl Ellis Green scheduled for sentencing in Riverside
Joseph Bonaminio (left), the father of slain Riverside policeman Ryan Bonaminio, and Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco announce the charges against killer Earl Ellis Green.
(
Steven Cuevas/KPCC
)
Listen
0:56
Convicted cop killer Earl Ellis Green scheduled for sentencing in Riverside
Convicted cop killer Earl Ellis Green is scheduled for sentencing Monday. A jury recommended the death penalty earlier this month after convicting Green of murdering a Riverside police officer two years ago.
Earl Green killed 27-year-old officer Ryan Bonaminio at the end of a late night foot chase in a Riverside park. Prosecutors say Green clubbed Bonaminio, an Iraq War veteran, with a steel bar after the officer slipped. He then got hold of Bonaminio’s service revolver and shot him.
After jurors returned their verdict recommending the death penalty, Bonaminio’s sister Nicki called her brother a hero.
“After having his skull cracked, he still got up and fought for his life," said Nicki Bonaminio. "Earl Green does not deserve to be on death row. He deserves to have his skull cracked just like how my brother’s was. And deserves to be executed just like he did my brother, and laying in an empty parking lot just like he left Ryan.”
Sponsored message
Defense attorneys conceded that Green was the shooter. But they argued the killing was not premeditated and that the career criminal suffers from a range of psychological problems.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
