Jillian Shriner, wife of Weezer bassist, pleads not guilty to two felony charges after officer involved shooting

CNN

13-05-2025

Jillian Shriner, the wife of the bassist for rock band Weezer, is facing two felony charges after a backyard shooting involving police in Los Angeles last month.
Shriner pleaded not guilty to two felony charges, the discharge of a firearm with gross negligence and assault with a semi-automatic firearm. The charges each carry aggravating factors of great violence, great bodily harm, cruelty, viciousness or callousness, according to the criminal complaint.
Though Shriner was originally booked on suspicion of attempted murder by the police, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office did not file an attempted murder charge against Shriner.
In the state of California, attempted murder is a specific intent crime which requires an intent to kill by the defendant.
Shriner didn't have any comment after court but appeared in good spirits as she left with her team.
Shriner was involved in a confrontation with police on April 8 that resulted in her being shot by law enforcement and subsequently arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Shriner was released from custody after posting $1 million bond, according to the Associated Press.
The incident occurred in the East LA neighborhood of Eagle Rock, when officers attempting to track a suspect of an unrelated hit-and-run were in the rear yard of a residence and observed a woman in a 'neighboring residence armed with a handgun,' according to an LAPD news release. The woman was later identified as Jillian Shriner.
Videos of the incident that were edited by the LAPD were released last month.
A compilation of surveillance and body-worn camera videos, the footage showed officers peering over a large wooden fence yelling at Shriner to 'put down the gun' repeatedly, while pointing their guns over the top of the fence into her backyard. In the video, one officer screams, 'Ma'am we're trying to help you!' Another says, 'You're going to get shot; it's the police!' An officer then identifies himself as a California Highway Patrol officer.
An edited surveillance video from the LAPD that appears to be taken from Shriner's home showed the moment she is shot, though it is from a distance and the view is from behind Shriner.
In a slowed down and zoomed in clip that has no audio, she is seen lifting her gun with both hands, pointing it and then a smoke cloud appears to the right of her body. After the gunfire, Shriner calmly walks back into her home. The LAPD said she 'was struck by gunfire and fled into her residence.'
A 911 call placed by an unknown woman who was with Shriner after she was shot was also released by the LAPD. It appears from the call that both the caller and Shriner believed that one of the hit-and-run suspects was behind the fence and was the one who shot her. (One of the three suspects from the hit-and-run was detained and released but two others were never found, according to the LAPD.)
Shortly after, Shriner can be heard on the call, explaining to the dispatcher that she was shot by the hit-and-run suspect. 'I had my gun… and he said 'Put down that gun, put down that gun,' and I said 'Put down your f**king gun.' And then he shot me.'
Shriner and the unknown woman make no mention of police officers firing weapons or making commands on the 911 call.
Shriner was taken to the hospital and released after the shooting. No officers were injured.
She is next due back in court on June 18th for a preliminary hearing.