Dead Sniper’s Relatives Criticize Police Work

Relatives of a man who fired a rifle from his rooftop at officers and others criticized the police Friday for killing him.

The victim’s mother, Sandra Theander, and her son Randy Theander said police should have fired a tranquilizer gun or tried to reason Ronald G. Theander, 35, down from the roof Thursday.

“I think the cops should have their guns taken away,” said a distraught Sandra Theander, 59, at her home at 2402 S. Towner St., the scene of a massive police deployment about 1 p.m.

Santa Ana Police Chief Paul M. Walters said police do not have tranquilizer guns for people. Nor, he said, did police have time to negotiate, because Theander was shooting at people.

“You can’t just let someone with a rifle stand up and shoot,” Walters said. “That’s why we were there in the first place.”

Randy Theander, 33, said he did not know why his brother opened fire from the family’s roof. “He’s always been off,” he said. “He had a lot of hate.”