City Sued Over Police Killing
The parents and children of Larry Plummer, 36, a former mental patient who was shot to death by police last year, sued the City of Los Angeles on Tuesday for unspecified damages for negligence.
The Los Angeles Superior Court civil suit by Lawrence and Delores Plummer, the parents, and Carlos and Tisha Plummer, the children, claimed city officials negligently hired and trained Officers Gary Couse and Lynn Stermolle, who fatally shot Larry Plummer.
Police said last January that officers had been called to Larry Plummer’s house at 6303 S. Long St. several times when Plummer brandished a shotgun and fired at a neighbor.
On Jan. 22, 1984, police said, officers surrounded the house and threw tear gas inside when the man refused to come out. Forcing their way in, officers said they fired 11 rounds into Plummer’s legs and upper torso, fatally wounding him, after Plummer pointed his shotgun at them and cocked it as if to shoot.
Attorney Gregory J. Kaapuni filed an administrative claim for damages last April 16. The city refused to act on the claim, denying any liability for Plummer’s death, thus clearing the way for the civil suit.
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