Man Acquitted in Chinatown Shoot-Out Case

The first of three defendants to stand trial for last December’s Chinatown jewelry store shoot-out, which left a Los Angeles police officer and two holdup suspects dead, was acquitted Friday on charges of having served as an accessory after the fact.

Thong Huynh, 21, of Rosemead, who had faced a possible three-year prison term, was accused of harboring murder suspect Sang Nam Chinh at his residence.

But a Los Angeles County Superior Court jury, after a four-week trial, accepted defense attorney Michael Yamaki’s contention that Huynh could not be found guilty of harboring Chinh, since Chinh lived in the same residence.

“I think the jury understood that authorities were trying to get Mr. Huynh to testify against the others,” Yamaki said. “He had a right not to.”

Chinh, 19, who had bullet wounds in his head, back and chin when he and Huynh were arrested a day after the shoot-out, has recovered and is scheduled to be tried next April, along with Hau Cheong Chan, 29, of Alhambra.

Both men are accused of three counts of murder in the gun battle at the Jin Hing Co. jewelry store that killed Officer Duane Johnson, 27, and suspects Robert Woo and Peter Chin.