A federal jury has awarded $23.8 million in damages to the mother of a man who was fatally shot by two Los Angeles police officers. The officers believed the man, Jesse Murillo, was wielding a machete when he was actually holding a metal bar. The shooting occurred during a family disturbance call on December 23, 2017, near Murillo’s home in Canoga Park.
Initially, the police claimed that the man had a machete, but later corrected their statement to reflect that it was a metal bar. It was revealed that Murillo, a Navy veteran, had fled to an alley where he was confronted by the police, resulting in the fatal shooting.
In 2020, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office concluded that the officers, Christopher Montague and Fred Sigman, were legally justified in firing their service weapons at Murillo, leading to no charges being filed against them.
However, a recent federal jury ruling has awarded $23.8 million in damages to Murillo’s mother. Attorney Dale Galipo, representing the family, expressed satisfaction with the verdict and commended the jury for recognizing the excessive and unreasonable force used by the officers. Galipo also highlighted that the verdict emphasizes the value of human life.
According to Galipo, the evidence presented in the trial contradicted the officers’ claims that Murillo was running towards them when he was shot. The trajectory of the shots indicated that he was actually running away from the officers. This verdict marks one of the largest payouts in an LAPD shooting case, as reported by The Los Angeles Times.
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