EspañolSettlement Following the Fatal Police Shooting of a Young Man in Crisis
Carrillo Law Firm, working with the Law Offices of Dale K. Galipo, obtained an $8 million settlement in litigation arising from the fatal LAPD shooting of 22-year-old Margarito Lopez. On December 18, 2021, his sister called 911 seeking help after he left home with a knife while exhibiting signs of a mental health crisis.
Officers confronted Lopez outside a South Los Angeles apartment building. During an encounter lasting less than ten minutes, officers used less-lethal projectiles before two officers fired their handguns, fatally wounding him. The video footage showed that he had not threatened officers or bystanders with the knife and that the officers failed to use available time, distance, and de-escalation measures.
Body-worn camera footage and the department’s post-incident review were central to the case. The LAPD also found the shooting out of policy. The settlement resolved the family’s claims for excessive force and the loss of their loved one.
