Family of Man Killed by Deputies in Florence Suing County for Wrongful Death

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The parents of a man killed in a deputy-involved shooting in the Florence area in March are suing Los Angeles County and the Sheriff's Department, court papers obtained Monday show.

Hector Medina and Consuelo Barajas, the father and mother of 23-year-old Christian Rene Medina, are seeking unspecified damages. They brought the complaint Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging wrongful death, battery, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

An LASD representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The shooting occurred about 4 a.m. March 16 near 64th Street and Holmes Avenue. Medina, of Los Angeles, died at the scene, said coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter.

The suit states that Medina was standing unarmed on a sidewalk when he "instinctively" turned around to look at the patrol car pulling up near him.

"Without warning or identification, the Sheriff's Department fired their handguns at (Medina) approximately 18 times," the complaint alleges.

The suit alleges the deputies were not justified in using deadly force, that their actions were negligent and that the shooting caused the plaintiffs emotional distress. Sheriff's Deputy Grace Medrano said previously that Century Station deputies were responding to a call of a robbery in progress when they encountered Medina.

"The caller described the suspect (as) wearing a black hoodie sweatshirt, black shorts and having a black handgun," Medrano said. "When deputies approached the area, they saw a man that matched the description in the call standing by himself next to a pay phone. When the suspect became aware of the deputies' presence, he took a two-hand shooting stance, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred."

A weapon was not recovered, Medrano said.

-- City News Service, photo via Shutterstock