Parents of man shot dead by sheriff's deputy awarded $7.5 mi

[L Grindin]

Compton jury awards $7.5 million to the parents of 21-year-old Robert Thomas Jr., who was shot seven times by an L.A. County deputy in Willowbrook in 2010.

June 14, 2013|By Robert Faturechi, Los Angeles Times

A Compton jury Friday awarded $7.5 million to the parents of a man shot dead by a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy.

According to the parents' attorney, Robert Thomas Jr. was standing outside with about 60 others at a party in Willowbrook in 2010 when two deputies pulled up.

One stopped Thomas and frisked him. Thomas then bolted, and the two deputies gave chase. A sheriff's spokesman said the deputies saw Thomas reach for a gun that was sticking out of his pocket.

Deputy Victor Lemus fired nine shots, hitting Thomas seven times and killing him, said John Sweeney, the Thomas family's attorney.

Deputies found a gun at the scene, but whom the weapon belonged to is in dispute. Sweeney said Thomas did not have a gun, and his DNA was not found on it. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said the gun was found in Thomas' pocket.

"We brought the gun to the trial," Whitmore said. "We showed the gun to the jury."

Whitmore said the jurors would not talk to sheriff's representatives about why they sided with Thomas. He said the department would appeal.

Sweeney said the deputies were amped up because they believed they were pulling up on a party being thrown by gang members from a Crips set.

Thomas, however, worked as a security guard and was not affiliated with a gang, Sweeney said. The only tattoo he had was his mother's name over his heart, according to the attorney.

Asked if he believed the deputies planted the gun they found, Sweeney simply reiterated that the gun was not Thomas'. He could not explain why the 21-year-old ran from the deputies.

robert.faturechi@latimes.com


http://articles.latimes.com/print/2013/ ... t-20130615


_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Young "June" was the little homie. I'd known him since he was 6 years old, and watched him grow up. His family is still affected by this. I know that at least one of his sisters is still traumatized by his murder, because she mentions it several times a week. Hopefully the county doesn't drag things out too long, so that his family can get some closure.

[lachica69]

Since you knew him growing up, would you say he was affiliated with any gang ties? Police tried to say he was a gang member, but people who know him say he wasn't. Did he hang with gang members? Despite what the police says The were completely wrong for shooting this young man and killing him. He didn't even have a change. I wonder what made him decide to run, if that is even true.

I really hope and pray for the sister to find some sort of solace in this terrible situation. Money cannot bring back our loved ones, but I hope this amount of money can make a change in his family's lives. Possibly, even create a foundation on behalf of this young guy who was doing good and use it to help others in the community, maybe some boys who need a second chance in life.

[L Grindin]

Growing up in the 'hood in L.A., it's nearly impossible for anyone to not have any gang ties. They would have to stay in the house and ignore everyone around them to avoid that label. I'm a college graduate with no criminal record, but would've been classified as a gang member/affiliate except that the Hawthorne police knew I would've fought them hard if they had labeled me as one.

Regarding June, yes he was affiliated because of family connections, as are many Black and Hispanic males growing up in the 'hood. However, he wasn't a gangbanger. In fact, he was a pretty boy who I'm certain had never been involved in any gang activity. I've known people who, if the same story had been told about them, it would be believable that they had pulled a gun on the police. But as someone who knew June, I'm suspicious of the sheriff department's story, because June wasn't the violent type, and not someone who would pull a gun on the police.

It just seems like another case of the a paranoid cop overreacting, "shooting first and asking questions later," then making up a story to cover his ass!

[lachica69]

First off congrats on your success! My siblings and I were raised in neighborhoods with gangs walking streets as well as attending schools where their influence was strong. Sure, we too had gang members as friends but like you and your lost friend we never took to the gang life. My parents were immigrants and was very protective of us all and we rarely spent time outside in our own neighborhood.

We are seeing more and more cops jumping the gun and shooting first before asking questions. I hope the system cracks down on this and make many needed changes when placing these types of officers on our streets.

[L Grindin]

Thanks for the compliment!

And I agree that the system needs to crack down, because it's a reality that there are many cops who shouldn't have been hired in the first place.

[Sentenza]

Many cops suck. One of my friends was killed due to an incompetent insecure triggerhappy cop.
People like that shouldnt get to become cops in the first place. A cop is a person who needs nerves of steel.
If you dont have it, dont do it. They should be paid adequately too.
That being said i can also understand that some cops are nervous and have a itchy trigger finger, especially in LA, where a million cops have been killed by crazy gunmen.
If id saw someone waving around with something looking like a gun, id shoot. Thats why i am not a cop.
My friend was pointing a gun at the cops (they said, he was trying to turn it in to his sister) and they tried to taze him in a suicide situation which made him fall 8 floors down the balcony, also because the tazer looked like a gun.
They messed up. No one was ever charged.
Thats the way it is. Cause if they would put the smackdown on the cops legally, all cops would be afraid to shoot and more police would get killed. So its a vicious circle.
Im glad that in this case the parents got rewarded.

[lachica69]

Money certainly doesn't take the memory away of your lost one. It is sad so sad! Police departments are always trying to change but you are right the wrong people get to have the gun and decide when to shoot. Yes, the are scared for their own lives, but the department should see that these officers are not mentally prepared in these situations. I pray that things get better with the police department, do more mental exams, etc to ensure the real safety on the streets.

[Sentenza]

[quote="lachica69"]Money certainly doesn't take the memory away of your lost one. It is sad so sad! Police departments are always trying to change but you are right the wrong people get to have the gun and decide when to shoot. Yes, the are scared for their own lives, but the department should see that these officers are not mentally prepared in these situations. I pray that things get better with the police department, do more mental exams, etc to ensure the real safety on the streets.[/quote]

Yea. Cops are doing way more shit and make way more wrong (fatal) decisions then they admit.
They try to sweep it under the rug because it would have grave consequences on them.
In German its called "Corps spirit". They stick together. Kind of like the no snitching policy among gangs.