A federal judge has ruled that the city of Santa Ana and its police chief, David Valentin, are not liable for the death of Brandon Lopez, an unarmed man who was shot and killed by at least one Anaheim officer three years ago. The judge, James V. Selna, dismissed several claims against the city and Chief Valentin that were directly related to the shooting. The incident occurred on September 28, 2021, at the intersection of Santa Ana Boulevard and Bristol Street.
According to court documents, Judge Selna determined that the Santa Ana police were not negligent in handling the scene and were not negligent in relinquishing jurisdiction to the Anaheim Police Department. The Anaheim officers had initially pursued Lopez after spotting him in a stolen car. Seymour Everett, an attorney representing Santa Ana, stated that Lopez posed a threat to the residents of Santa Ana, and the city should not have been named in the lawsuit.
However, the city still faces a claim of unlawful detention for detaining Lopez’s father at the scene and holding him in the back of a police SUV for several hours. The family, represented by attorney Dale Galipo, has filed a federal civil lawsuit seeking unspecified damages against the cities of Anaheim and Santa Ana, as well as police chiefs Jorge Cisneros and David Valentin, and four Anaheim police officers. The family had previously stated that they would be seeking $20 million in damages.
Lopez was spotted by Anaheim officers driving a stolen car, and it was later discovered that he had three warrants out for his arrest, including one for armed robbery. After the pursuit, officers found Lopez when his car became stuck in a construction trench in Santa Ana. Despite attempts to coax him out of the vehicle, Lopez refused to comply. Officers eventually used a flash bang and a chemical agent, prompting Lopez to exit the vehicle and run. He was shot shortly after by an officer who mistook a water bottle inside a black case for a gun.
Family members who were present at the scene have stated that Lopez was experiencing a mental-health crisis, but this claim was not included in the lawsuit. Santa Ana Councilman Johnathan Ryan Hernandez, who is a cousin of Lopez, criticized the police and referred to the incident as a preventable murder. He suggested that Lopez’s girlfriend may have reported the car stolen during a fight.
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