The family of a man struck and killed by an LAPD patrol car has filed a government claim, the prelude to a lawsuit, against the City of Los Angeles alleging poor training and supervision of the officer who was driving the car were to blame for the death.
Luis Humberto Armenta Espinoza, 25, died a day before his birthday after he was struck by the police car as he crossed Century Boulevard near Paloma Street Dec. 8.
Espinoza's uncle, also named Luis, said Wednesday the death has been very difficult for the family, and said Espinoza was a happy young man who was working at a restaurant when he died.
The circumstances surrounding the collision have yet to be fully explained by the LAPD, which released several edited video clips showing portions of the incident earlier this month.
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The officer was driving with her lights and sirens activated when the collision happened, but the LAPD has said the officer was not responding to an emergency call.
"She had her lights and sirens on, shouldn’t have had lights and sirens, wasn’t responding to an emergency," Espinoza family attorney Michael Carrillo told reporters.
LAPD INVESTIGATION OF FATAL COLLISION
He said he was also troubled by what happened after the impact, as captured in a segment of the LAPD video, that appears to show the officer remained in her patrol car for about a minute before approaching Espinoza's body.
"We can see the time, it’s over a minute - she doesn't get out - we don’t know what she’s doing," Carrillo said.
The officer, who has not been publicly identified by the LAPD, was removed from field duty, according to Chief Michel Moore, who said last month he directed an internal affairs investigation to be opened into the incident.
"I have looked at preliminary information, and have serious concerns as to the officer's conduct, and the manner in which she operated that vehicle," Moore told the I-Team.
Moore said the officer was assigned to the Community Safety Partnership Bureau.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office confirmed Wednesday the LAPD had presented evidence in the matter for consideration of criminal charges, and that the case was still under review.
The LAPD declined to discuss the claim citing its policy of not commenting on pending litigation.
