The family of a man is speaking out about the night he was shot and killed by Long Beach police, and the mental illness they believe played a role in the shooting. Kim Baldonado reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2016.
Relatives of a mentally ill man fatally shot by Long Beach police inside an arcade in December filed a $20 million claim Thursday against the city.
Mharloun Saycon was shot inside Looff's Lite-A-Line on Dec. 14, according to the claim, which alleges excessive force.
"His life was taken away. He doesn't deserve to be that violent death," his father, Khanly Saycon, said. "It is another case of police shooting an innocent man and then trying to cover it up."
Both police and witnesses say Mharloun was sitting in a chair when police arrived, but what happened next varies radically depending on who you talk to.
"They shot first and asked questions later," said Dan Stormer, an attorney representing the Saycon family.
Long Beach police said previously that Saycon, 39, of Carson, failed to comply with orders to drop a knife he was carrying and that less-lethal methods to subdue him failed.
When that didn't work, police say they then used an electronic control device and a baton. When both failed, the shooting occurred.
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But the claim alleges Saycon did not threaten anyone.
A claim is a precursor to a lawsuit.
City News Service contributed to this report.
