Jorge Enrique Serrano Robles Senior v. County of Los Angeles

District Court, C.D. California·Decided July 18, 2022·No. 2:20-cv-06648·Unknown

Opinion

Case 2:20-cv-06648-ODW-PLA Document 70 Filed 07/18/22 Page 1 of 25 Page ID #:2294

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8 United States District Court 9 Central District of California

JORGE ENRIQUE SERRANO ROBLES, Case № 2:20-cv-06648-ODW (PLAx) SENIOR, et al., Plaintiffs, ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND v. DENYING IN PART DEFENDANTS’ COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, et al., JUDGMENT [55]

Defendants.

Plaintiffs Jorge Enrique Serrano Robles, Sr. and Yurida Dolores Miranda bring this excessive force action individually and as successors in interest to their son, Jorge Enrique Serrano, Jr. (“Serrano”)—against Defendants the County of Los Angeles (the “County”), the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (“LASD”),1 Sheriff Alex Villanueva, and Deputy Nikolis Perez—based on allegations that LASD Deputies used unreasonable deadly force when they shot and killed Serrano. Defendants move for summary judgment on all nine of Plaintiffs’ claims. (Mot. Summ. J. (“Mot.” or 1 On August 30, 2020, Plaintiffs filed a Second Amended Complaint, removing LASD as a Defendant. (See Second Am. Compl., ECF No. 18.) Accordingly, in this Order, the Court uses the term “Defendants” to refer only to the remaining named Defendants. Case 2:20-cv-06648-ODW-PLA Document 70 Filed 07/18/22 Page 2 of 25 Page ID #:2295

1 “Motion”), ECF No. 55.) As explained below, the Court GRANTS in PART and 2 DENIES in PART Defendants’ Motion.2 4 The following facts are undisputed unless otherwise noted. On December 16, 5 2019, Perez and non-party Deputy Kevin Thompson (together, the “Deputies”) were 6 driving in their patrol car in East Los Angeles when they noticed a man walking south 7 on Rowan Avenue. (Defs.’ Statement Uncontroverted Facts (“DSUF”) 1, 3, ECF 8 No. 55-2.) Perez and Thompson identified the man as Serrano,3 a known gang 9 member who had prior contact with law enforcement, including several prior arrests and multiple felony convictions. (DSUF 5.) The Deputies knew Serrano had violated his parole and had a “no-bail” warrant for his arrest. (DSUF 7.) The parties agree that Thompson exited the vehicle to detain Serrano. (DSUF 9.) However, neither party seems to assert a consistent rendition of the facts that transpired next. According to Defendants, when the Deputies stopped their car, they engaged in a “consensual encounter” with Serrano. (DSUF 4.) However, Defendants also contend that when they stopped the car, Serrano pulled out a gun from his waistband and began running. (DSUF 9.) The Court notes that it is highly unlikely that Serrano both consented to the Deputies’ stop and simultaneously revealed his gun and ran away. Plaintiffs’ rendition of the facts is neither clearer nor more consistent. According to Plaintiffs, Serrano never consented to the stop because he began running away from the Deputies “as soon [as] the vehicle stop[ped]” or as soon as he saw the patrol vehicle. (PSGD 5, 6.) Yet somehow, Plaintiffs also “[d]ispute[] that Jorge

2 Having carefully considered the papers filed in connection with the Motion, the Court deemed the matter appropriate for decision without oral argument. Fed. R. Civ. P. 78; C.D. Cal. L.R. 7-15. 3 In one part of their Statement of Genuine Disputes, Plaintiffs do not dispute that the officers recognized the man as Serrano, (Pls.’ Statement of Genuine Disputes (“PSGD”) 5, ECF No. 64-1); however, in another part of their Statement, they blatantly contradict this by “disput[ing] that the deputies recognized Jorge Serrano,” (PSGD 6). Despite Plaintiffs’ apparent concession that the Deputies recognized Serrano, the Court views this fact as disputed.

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1 Serrano began running away from the Deputies as soon as he saw the Deputies.” 2 (PSGD 9.) Thus, neither party has relayed a clear or consistent version of what 3 happened in this moment. 4 The parties agree that, upon seeing Serrano’s gun, Thompson yelled “417” and 5 “gun” to warn Perez. (DSUF 10.) According to Defendants, as Serrano was running 6 away, he turned his upper body back towards the Deputies and pointed his firearm 7 toward the Deputies. (DSUF 12.) Plaintiffs state that Serrano was only running away 8 and never pointed his gun at the Deputies. (PSGD 12.) Thompson then directed 9 Serrano to stop and drop the gun but, according to Defendants, Serrano kept his hands on the gun. (DSUF 13–14; but see PSGD 14.) Defendants contend that Thompson feared for his and Perez’s lives when he fired a single shot at Serrano (the “First Shot”), which struck Serrano. (DSUF 15; PSGD 19.) However, Plaintiffs argue that forensic evidence demonstrates that the First Shot likely came from Perez. (PSGD 15.) Although Serrano “yelped,” he continued running and a foot pursuit ensued. (DSUF 16–17.) According to Defendants, “[a]s the pursuit continued, Serrano’s behavior became increasingly erratic,” a characterization that Plaintiffs dispute. (DSUF 19; PSGD 19.) Defendants assert that “[t]he deputies repeatedly directed Serrano to stop and drop the gun, but he disregarded their commands and continued running with the gun in his hand”; Plaintiffs contend that Serrano did not have a gun in his hands. (DSUF 20; PSGD 20.) After approximately one quarter of a mile, Serrano stopped running and the Deputies stopped approximately “a car length” behind him. (DSUF 22–23.) Defendants contend that, at that time, Serrano had his back to the Deputies but they “could see that he was manipulating something in his hands.” (DSUF 24.) The Deputies directed Serrano to turn around with his hands visible. (DSUF 25.) According to Defendants, Serrano turned around but instead of dropping the gun, he assumed a shooting stance and aimed it at the Deputies. (DSUF 26.) Plaintiffs dispute that Serrano had a gun in his hands or assumed a

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1 shooting stance. (PSGD 26.) Defendants assert that witnesses heard the Deputies 2 instructing Serrano to “get down” and Serrano replied, “no”; however, Plaintiffs 3 dispute these witness accounts. (DSUF 27; PSGD 27.) 4 The Deputies then fired at Serrano: Thompson fired two rounds (the “Second 5 and Third Shots”) and Perez fired four rounds (the “Fourth through Seventh Shots”).4 6 (DSUF 28–29.) Serrano fell onto his back with his hands above his head. (DSUF 30.) 7 According to Defendants, Thompson saw that Serrano still had the gun in his hand 8 and was trying to aim the gun at Thompson; Plaintiffs maintain that Serrano did not 9 have a gun in his hands. (DSUF 33; PSGD 33.) Thompson then fired two final rounds at Serrano (the “Eighth and Ninth Shots”). (DSUF 34.) Defendants contend that at that point, Serrano dropped the gun and tried to crawl away before falling still. (DSUF 35.) Several other deputies arrived at the scene and helped Thompson detain Serrano. (DSUF 36–37.) Thompson and another deputy then began performing CPR on Serrano until fire department personnel arrived and pronounced Serrano dead. (DSUF 38–39.) Detectives from LASD’s Homicide Bureau later investigated the incident. (DSUF 40.) Serrano’s parents, Plaintiffs, brought this action individually and as successors in interest to Serrano. In the operative Third Amended Complaint, Plaintiffs assert nine claims against Defendants, the first six pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and the remaining three under California law: (1) excessive force and denial of medical care (against Perez and the County); (2) substantive due process (against Perez); (3) supervisory liability (against Villanueva); (4)–(6) municipal liability (against the County); (7) battery; (8) negligence; and (9) violation of the Bane Act, California Civil Code section 52.1

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