The mother of a 19-year-old man shot and killed by Buena Park police nearly five years ago said she had “mixed emotions” Thursday following a $3.5 million verdict in her favor against the city.
“Honestly, I have mixed emotions,” Deanna Sullivan said of the judgment in her favor in the Aug. 19, 2019, fatal shooting of her son, David Patrick Sullivan.
“It’s so difficult to try to keep going back and explaining to people and trying to get people to see these police officers didn’t do their job,” Sullivan said. “But I’m so grateful to this jury and, especially the foreman, who fought for us, fought for David and saw that these police officers didn’t do their job that day and were trying to put the blame on David.”
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A federal jury in 2022 deadlocked 5-1 for Sullivan, so attorney Gary Dordick decided to amend the complaint to get in front of a jury in Orange County Superior Court, where a unanimous verdict was not required. Jurors in state court on Wednesday voted 9-3 in favor of the plaintiffs.