SANTA ANA, Calif. — The family of Victor Lopez, an 18-year-old who was fatally shot in the back by Santa Ana police officers during a traffic stop, announced Thursday that they have filed a civil rights claim against the city of Santa Ana, according to statements made during a recent press conference in Costa Mesa. Attorneys said Lopez was unarmed and in the process of surrendering to an officer when he was shot and killed.
According to Pointer & Buelna LLP, the claim is the first step toward a civil rights lawsuit stemming from the encounter between Lopez and the Santa Ana Police Department. The attorneys representing the family allege the officer used deadly force despite Lopez posing no imminent threat, constituting excessive force and a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment.
In a statement, civil rights attorney Adante Pointer of Pointer & Buelna, Lawyers for the People, said, “Victor was needlessly killed while in the act of surrendering himself during a minor traffic stop.” He added, “He was gunned down in front of his girlfriend and their 1-year-old son, while trying to de-escalate the situation.”…