EspañolOrange County Police Investigating Fatal Fullerton Police Shooting of Alejandro Rios (Full Name: Alejandro Campos Rios) Outside McDonald’s Restaurant on South Brookhurst Road
FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA (March 7, 2024) – A man identified as Alejandro Rios has died after the Fullerton Police Department shot him multiple times with beanbag rounds outside a McDonald’s restaurant.
The incident took place around 3:00 a.m. on March 6. Fullerton Police Department officials were called to the Mcdonald’s restaurant after getting reports about a man acting erratically.
Officers encountered a shirtless man near the front of the restaurant. Alejandro Rios allegedly began swinging a belt at officers as they approached him.
It was at this point that one officer shot the man with a taser in order to subdue him. But that measure was not successful. The officers then fired several ‘less-lethal’ rounds at the man.
He dropped to his knees, and officers were able to place him under arrest. But the man went into medical distress prior to being taken to the hospital. Sadly, Alejandro Rios later died at the hospital due to the severe nature of his injuries.
A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Fullerton Police Department Shootings
Thousands of people are killed or seriously injured in police shootings every year. In response to these shootings, police departments across the United States began to turn to the use of ‘non-lethal’ weapons such as tasers and beanbag shotguns. But far from being ‘non-lethal,’ many people are killed every year in police encounters involving tasers and bean bag rounds. According to ABC 11, “There have been around 500 fatal taser encounters with police between 2010 and 2021 across the country, according to Fatal Encounters.” Police departments subsequently began referring to these tasers and beanbag guns as ‘less-lethal.’ There are a number of safety precautions that police officers should use when they are considering deploying tasers or beanbag rounds.
- Training: Police officers should undergo thorough training on the proper use of less-lethal weapons.
- Use of Force Continuum: Officers should start every encounter by using the least amount of force necessary and scale up from there.
- Alternatives: Officers should use de-escalation techniques whenever possible.
- Monitoring: Officers should continuously monitor suspects after using less-lethal force.
- Distance: Officers must maintain a safe distance of at least 20 feet when deploying kinetic projectiles, such as beanbag rounds.
A police department could potentially be liable if a suspect dies following a police encounter. This will typically be the case if an officer uses excessive force. According to 42 U.S. Code § 1983, every person who, under the color of law, deprives someone of their rights afforded under the Constitution shall be liable to the injured party in an action at law. Whether or not an officer’s actions are considered excessive force will depend largely on the unique facts of any specific encounter.
The Aurora police department is currently facing a lawsuit after a suspect was killed by a beanbag round. Among other things, attorneys for the plaintiff argued that the responding officer fired the round at an unsafe distance. In that case, police were called after getting a report about an alleged assault in a hotel room. A responding officer ended up shooting Shawn Meredith at point-blank range with a beanbag round. The suspect later died after the beanbag round lodged in his chest. There are several steps that should be taken after any police shooting.
- Eyewitnesses should be interviewed.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- Body camera footage should be reviewed.
- An experienced civil rights attorney should be contacted.
It can be hard to know where to begin after any fatal police encounter. To make matters worse, the police are rarely transparent about how any fatal incident took place. When the authorities investigate themselves, they will inevitably find that their officers did nothing wrong. This is why it is so important that the actions of the police are adequately investigated by an outside party. If you’ve lost someone due to the actions of police officers, a civil rights attorney can examine the unique facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.
Investigating Orange County Police Department Shootings
We at the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP extend our deepest condolences to the family of Alejandro Rios who died in this Fullerton Police Department shooting. This man clearly needed help, but instead he was met with lethal force. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what happened for the sake of his family.
Do you need more information about a Fullerton Police Department shooting? Our team of civil rights attorneys is here to help in any way that we can. We are committed to helping victims of police brutality understand their rights and ensuring that police departments are held accountable for their illegal actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
