LASD facing federal civil rights lawsuit after deputy shoots into vehicle during traffic stop

By Michelle Fisher

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    LOS ANGELES, California (KABC) — The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is facing a federal civil rights lawsuit after a deputy-involved shooting involving a group of teenagers in Paramount.

The incident happened on June 7, 2022 when three teens were pulled over by deputies from LASD’s Lakewood Station.

The lawsuit claims a female deputy, identified only as Deputy Acuna, shot at the teens “without cause or provocation” causing the teens to “fear for their lives.”

The mothers of the teens along with their attorney spoke out about the lawsuit on Thursday, saying it was a long process to obtain body camera video. The mothers watched the footage for the first time that day.

“This is definitely tough for us,” said Tyisha Brooks, the mother of one of the teens. “Watching that as a parent, and I was not even there, I felt so much pain in my body and hurt. As a parent, you’re like, ‘Wait, if I’m feeling this, my son is going through this even double.'”

In the bodycam video, you can hear deputies telling the teens to “keep their hands up.”

At one point, Acuna fires her gun into the teens’ vehicle. Bodycam video footage shows a bullet hole in the back window.

You can hear her say, “Oh my God … it’s all I needed.”

She’s then heard saying, “Alright, let’s just all start [inaudible] … they said they’re all ok and then we’ll … If we put it out on the radio, it’s going to start chaos.”

Attorney Caree Harper, who is representing the families, said the teens were “completely compliant” during the incident.

“They were told to put their hands in the air, and while their hands were in the air [Acuna] shot through their windshield,” she said.

Brooks said glass from the back window left scratches on her son’s back and caused him to bleed.

“His shirt had pieces of glass in it,” she said.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for alleged civil rights violations. The mothers said they want Acuna fired, saying their sons’ lives have forever changed.

“He doesn’t go out anymore,” said Dominique Ortiz, another mother of one of the teens. “He is very traumatized from what happened because he’s scared that he might come across the police.”

Harper is hoping for change within law enforcement as a whole.

“The sheriff’s department needs some type of reform; we have seen them in the news almost every day this month, yes? So, something is happening there,” said Harper.

No criminal charges have been brought against the three teens.

Eyewitness News reached out to the sheriff’s department for a response but a spokesperson said they’re unable to comment on pending litigation. The department did confirm that Acuna is still employed by LASD on active duty.

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