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Lawsuit filed in deputy-involved shooting that killed Palmdale teen

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The shooting that killed Armando Garcia [inset] was reported at 3:47 a.m. June 22, 2017, in the 38500 block of 10th Street East in Palmdale, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
LOS ANGELES – The mother of a 17-year-old boy who was fatally struck by a ricocheting bullet when deputies shot and killed a dog that had attacked one of them in Palmdale is suing Los Angeles County.

Roberta Alcantar, the mother of Armando Garcia, filed the lawsuit Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging wrongful death and assault and battery and seeking unspecified damages.

A sheriff’s representative could not be immediately reached. But department officials previously said the incident occurred about 3:47 a.m. June 22, 2017, near an apartment complex in the 38500 block of 10th Street East in Palmdale. Deputies said they initially responded to a report of loud music and that as they investigated, a pit bull weighing 60 to 65 pounds charged at them and bit one deputy on his left knee.

The dog was restrained by a person at the scene, but as deputies awaited paramedics, the animal got loose again and charged at the deputies, according to the department’s account of what transpired. At that point, two deputies shot at the pit bull from five to seven feet and the dog went back to the rear of the apartment complex and into the carport area.

Deputies said they followed the dog in an attempt to catch the animal and when they reached the carport, they found the teen on the ground with a gunshot wound to the chest. Deputies said they rendered aid until the boy was transported to a local hospital, where he died.

But according to the lawsuit, the teen tried to restrain the dog, which did not did not belong to him or any of the friends with him that day. As he did so, the deputies aggravated the animal by shining flashlights and cameras at the animal, the suit states.

After the dog escaped from Garcia, one or more of the deputies shot in the direction of the dog and the teen, according to the suit, which says at least two of the bullets hit the teen in the chest.

“While on the ground, and still alive, Garcia could be heard by witnesses calling out, ‘Help me, help me,'” the suit states.

Deputies delayed getting medical help for the teenager as they discussed “how they were going to explain the shooting,” the complaint alleges.

Alcantar arrived at the shooting scene, but deputies did not tell her that her son was dead and that his body was in an ambulance nearby, the suit says.

Previous related story: Deputy involved shooting in Palmdale

33 comments for "Lawsuit filed in deputy-involved shooting that killed Palmdale teen"

  1. I’m so sorry to hear such tragedy about your son Armando. My thoughts and prayers are with the Alcantar family. We will soon reap the blessings of Jesus’ sacrificial death. (John 11:25) Soon, our loved ones will live again on peaceful new world. Tragedy’s and death will be no more (Isa. 25:8) May viewing our website, jw.org, for more encouraging and practical Bible answers be a source of comfort too.

  2. Rear ending somebody or t-boning them on the road is an accident. Dropping your cell phone in the toilet is an accident. Hitting your thumb with a hammer is an accident. What the police did was neglegance.

  3. Sorry for Armando but, everyone posting comments should keep options to themselves. What should happen is all the LA County Deputies in the Anteope Valley should vacate for 1 month, then will see who’s crying! Accidents happen and that’s that. All you cry babies have nothing better to do here in the Pitful AV than to bitch about everything. Your all already getting welfare and SSI and section 8 what more do yo want! These poor deputies that work here try to keep the peace but all you dumb asses can’t see that. Get a job do something useful with your lives rather than reap the benifits of my hard work and taxes that I paid into so you can live in luxury!!

    • We don’t need to reap the benefits of your pitiful half ass work Marqeeez. Keep your money and spend it on educating yourself.

  4. Sorry for your loss Amber and family may God rest his soul justice will prevail the dark Can’t extinguish the light Justice for Armando…

  5. Everyone is out to get a buck!! How do you think those Deputies feel knowing they accidentally shot another human being. AFTER the dog already bit one of them. Have any of you been bit by a dog ?? Every single one of you replying negatively need to be put in their shoes and know what it feels like to accidentally take the life of another. Those of you making negative comments should be ashamed of yourselves. Honestly, it makes me sick this family is suing. Damn lawyers too.

    • Agreed – they will get a settlement of a few million and it will tear the family apart. Family and distant relatives will all fight over who should get what and mommy will want to keep it all. The mom will have to make a choice between the money and family and money always wins. Mom will cut ties and run off with her new riches.

    • Jeejee you are as ignorant as the cops that blindly shot that dog. If they were spraying and praying over a dog imagine how they would respond to a mad tweaker approaching them with a gun of any type. These are not the kind of people that I want responding to my 911 calls. Unfortunately if it were a civilian trying to save the day and accidently shot that kid, he would be arrested, prosecuted and get sued up the wazzoo. If it was your child then I’m pretty sure you would sing a different tune, seek out justice and hire a lawyer. If it didnt cost them, they would repeat the same mistakes, just say oops and hide behind the badge. I hope the rest of the department can learn from these deputized dummies and not repeat the same mistakes. I hope they feel really bad and I hope they choose a different career that doesn’t involve guns. They should work at the dog pound and pick up dog crap while they are reminded of the young life they inadvertently took while being chicken$|-|!T about a pitbull. I hope karma doesn’t teach their children about the repercussions of using deadly force.

      • If it was a chihuahua I might agree with you. So how do you stop a charging pitbull? Take away his credit card? :)

        • Pepperspray to the snout and eyes. Bash it’s head over and over with a baton. Stuff your leather boot down its throat. Spear it with an unchambered shotgun. Kick it’s throat repeatedly. Whisper sweet nothings into its ear. GRAB IT BY THE THROAT. Anything other than unloading
          handguns at it while facing the direction of an apartment complex where multiple people live. Just think, what if your family and there friendly neighbors were there?

        • If worst comes to absolute worst, give it a mouthful of forearm, lock your other forearm across the back of its head, drop on it and start rolling until its neck breaks. You get bit, but it gets dead…and no innocent bystanders get shot.

          Cue the whining and crying that getting bit by a dog is the end of the world.

          Funny how a self insured poolman doesn’t think a dog bite is the end of the world, but a cop who is going to have every penny of the best medical care money can buy paid for just HAS to shoot anything or anyone that doesn’t drop to their belly at sight of the mighty badge.

  6. Whether or not it was an accident, it’s still man slaughter. They shot their guns recklessly at a dog without being aware of the targets surroundings and now a child is dead. They should be tried in the court of law just like a regular civilian would. I hope the family wins the lawsuit and I hope cops learn from this and start using common sense instead of always using their fat ugly fascist copper brains.

  7. The pit bull did its job – it stalled the cops long enough so the party-goers with drugs, guns, warrants and the underage could all jump the back wall and get the heck out of there. I live in the apartments across the street and have seen that pit bull many times, I remember walking by a few times when they let him go potty and thinking “I hope that pitbull is friendly” because it was off-leash and only 10 feet away. I assume it’s the same dog because I don’t see it anymore.

  9. the dog owner is just as responsible for his death as are the officers that were trying to protect themselves. if I get bitten by someone’s dog, bet your ass i’ll shoot it. I don’t think the officers knew the boy was right there, therefore it’s an accident. if they did know, well, shame on them and they will have to live with the results of the choice they made. a very sad situation all the way around but again…..what about the dog owner ? he/she should also be held accountable.

    • If you were a helpless old lady then it would seem reasonable to shoot that dog. But two trained cops?…. it must have been one hell of a vicious dog for them to not have enough time to pull out their pepperspray and/or baton.

      • This was a tragic accident. Pit Bulls can be very vicious. If one charged at me, I’d shoot it too. I think you need to view Pit Bull attacks on UTUBE. A baton ain’t gonna cut it.

        • Would you shoot recklessly like an idiot if you knew that your own kids were in that apartment complex? Well, its someone else’s kid so take that chance right? Pepper spray will definately cut it. Breaking it’s legs afterwards with a baton would definately impair the dog. Better to be charged with animal cruelty then to take a life of a child. Then again you could be a weak old geezer that needs a multiplier. Who’s to say I wouldn’t if I needed a walker or a wheelchair to get around. But two trained cops!!!?

        • So, Mike…which pit bull victims do you identify with more? The little old ladies or the toddlers?

          “Oh! It’s a DOG!!! I’m scared!!! Where’s my GUN???”

          Get a grip.

  11. Now the truth is finally starting to come to light!!! Whatever is alleged in this against the Palmdale Sheriffs that unjustly shot and killed (or should I say murdered) my nephew Armando Garcia, there’s obviously proof otherwise it wouldn’t of been able to be filed!!! We might of not been able to talk about it in details yet… but we knew!!! It makes me sick how some of the community treated my family just because we couldn’t disclose privileged information to them…. well now they can finally get a taste of what we’ve been knowing and let’s see if their opinions are the same. Some people can be so cruel and it makes me sad…. but like my family and I have said since the beginning…. WE WILL FIGHT FOR JUSTICE FOR MY NEPHEW AND WONT STOP UNTIL THE REAL TRUTH OF WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT COMES OUT!!! These deputies need to be held accountable for what they did!!! And hopefully now we will have the entire community backing us demanding JUSTICE FOR ARMANDO GARCIA!!!

    • RIP Armando! Oh and by the way, the family has decided to donate any money gained from this lawsuit to the California Victim Compensation Program – So don’t accuse them of going after the ghetto lottery, they are not the type of family that would take advantage of Armando’s death so they can all buy new houses and Escalades.

    • Amber- We support your family 100%.
      Justice for Armando

      If there is anything we can do please ask.

      -jj @Dogs Shot by Police Facebook Page

    • There’s no amount of justice or money that will ever bring your young nephew back. I truly hope you get as much justice as you can in the eyes of the law! I am truly sorry for your loss, as far as I can tell of the articles I’ve read, this was a senseless killing!

    • I too am sorry for Armando’s family, friends and loved ones’ loss… And may young Armando rest in peace…

      But to offer the following:

      “there’s obviously proof otherwise it wouldn’t of been able to be filed!!!”

      … could not be farther from the truth.

      A case is filed before “proof” is presented to the tried of fact” (most likely a jury in this case). Anybody can file a civil case in court, anyone can make allegations… Proof comes during the trial, not when the case is filed..

      Lastly, to cry “murder”, or even have a slight hope that the deputies involved could even be convicted of “murder” is to set yourself up to be disappointed. Were they negligent? Probably (manslaughter), whereas “murder” requires intent and premeditation!