The family and attorney of a La Puente man shot and injured by LA County Sheriff’s deputies announced they are filing a lawsuit against the department.
According to deputies, the man was using a metal paint roller as a weapon.
Isael Orellana’s family gathered outside of LASD headquarters as they demanded justice for him because they said he was suffering from a mental health crisis and the response should not have escalated to a shooting.
Early Friday morning, LA County Sheriff's deputies responded to a family disturbance call on Willow Avenue in La Puente.
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According to sheriff's deputies, they saw Orellana arguing with family members outside his home.
They added that they attempted to detain Orellana but he armed himself with a metal paint roller and used it as a weapon.
Sheriff's deputies said they ordered Orellana to drop the roller but he refused.
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That is when deputies used pepper spray and said Orellana did not comply. Instead he raised the paint roller towards the deputy, and that is when they said the deputy shooting occurred.
The deputy involved was treated for injuries at the scene. Orellana was treated at the scene as well and was listed in stable condition.
But the family and attorney today said Orellana was suffering from mental health issues.
“They did ultimately respond with deputies who when encountering Orellana did not approach him with a mode of de-escalation, they approached him violently,” attorney Damon Alimouri said. “We want justice for Orellana, we want justice for his family, we want justice for our society as a whole, we don’t want this to happen again, we don't want to have to have a press conference for another fortunate soul.”
A statement from LASD said the LA County Sheriff's Department has not officially received this claim, but takes all deputy-involved shootings seriously.
"With any deputy involved shooting, there is a thorough multi level review process that involves multiple outside entities where every aspect of the shooting is thoroughly examined and evaluated to see if department policies and procedures were followed," the department said.
