Home / Crime and Justice / LAPD Faces Trial Over Girl's Tragic Store Death
LAPD Faces Trial Over Girl's Tragic Store Death
8 Apr
Summary
- A 14-year-old girl died after being struck by LAPD gunfire in a store.
- The lawsuit alleges LAPD failed to train and supervise officers.
- A trial begins for the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the girl's parents.
A trial is set to commence this Wednesday for a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against the Los Angeles Police Department. The suit stems from the fatal shooting of 14-year-old Valentina Orellana-Peralta, who was shopping for Christmas clothes with her mother on December 23, 2021, when a stray bullet struck her.
Police had responded to reports of a man attacking two women with a bike lock inside a Burlington store. During the response, Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr. discharged his rifle three times, resulting in the deaths of both the suspect and Orellana-Peralta.
The lawsuit, filed by her parents, asserts claims of wrongful death, negligence, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. It specifically alleges that the LAPD's inadequate training and supervision fostered an environment that permitted the shooting.
In 2022, the Los Angeles Police Commission ruled that while one of Jones's shots was justified, the subsequent two were out of policy. A prior review by then-Police Chief Michel Moore found all three shots unjustified. Jones reportedly mistook the bike lock for a firearm and was unaware of the dressing room's proximity.
