SANTA ANA, CALIF., May 14, 2026 — The family of Victor Lopez, shot in the back by Santa Ana Police following a minor traffic stop, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Santa Ana and the as-yet unnamed officer involved in his death.
Lopez, 18, was unarmed and surrendering to Santa Ana police when he was killed inside a parking garage on Jan. 29, according to the lawsuit filed on behalf of Lopez’s child and family. The lawsuit was filed May 8 in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.
“Victor Lopez was 18 years old, unarmed and surrendering when a Santa Ana police officer shot him in the back. That is not public safety, it’s police terror,” said civil rights attorney Adante Pointer, of Oakland-based Pointer and Buelna, Lawyers For The People. “Police officers are trained to recognize surrender. Our Constitution does not allow officers to execute someone who is trying to submit to their authority.”…