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.”
According to the claim, the incident occurred at approximately 10:29 p.m. Jan. 28, when a Santa Ana police officer initiated a traffic stop near Santa Ana Boulevard. Lopez, who was driving with his infant son and partner, Leileen Carrasco, continued driving to the parking structure of his apartment building.
The claim states that after Lopez exited the vehicle inside the garage, he tripped and fell, causing a firearm on his person to drop to the ground. Attorneys allege Lopez then stood up, turned away from the officer, raised his empty hands and began lowering himself to the ground in what Pointer described as “an act of submission and surrender.”
“That’s when the officer yelled words to the effect of ‘don’t touch that’ and, without warning, shot Mr. Lopez three times in the back,” Pointer said. “Mr. Lopez fell to the ground, crawled toward the family car, and leaned against one of the tires while crying out that he was going to die. The child’s mother remained in the car, watching Mr. Lopez lose consciousness,” according to the claim and Pointer & Buelna LLP.
Bryan Harrison, an attorney for Harrison Kristopher LLP, said the officer “acted alone without calling for backup and without deploying less-lethal alternatives,” and that “he failed to give Mr. Lopez adequate time to comply before callously shooting him in the back.”
According to the claim, Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene, with his girlfriend and infant son witnessing the events from inside the vehicle. The officer involved has not been identified, and the claim notes the family may amend the filing once the officer’s identity is released.
In a public statement released after the shooting, Santa Ana police said Lopez “initially walked toward an officer with his hands raised” before “turning back toward the firearm.” Attorneys for the family dispute that account, calling it “misleading and materially incomplete.”
The filing alleges multiple legal violations, including excessive force under the Fourth Amendment, deprivation of familial companionship under the 14th Amendment, wrongful death under California law, and violations of California’s AB 392 use-of-force statute. The claim also alleges failures in training, supervision and de-escalation practices by the department.
As noted in the claim, attorneys concluded the press conference by demanding the preservation of all body-worn camera footage, surveillance video, dispatch records and physical evidence related to the shooting. “This case is about accountability,” Pointer said. “And about whether surrendering to police actually protects your life.”
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
