Wounded Officer Sues for Negligence
A Simi Valley police officer who was shot in the leg by his partner as they tried to subdue a mentally disturbed man has filed suit against the man and his parents--alleging that they are to blame for his injuries.
Officer David Raduziner was shot Dec. 18 after Mark Pedersen allegedly lunged at him and partner John Hughes with a knife. The two officers had been called to the Belgrave Court home of Robert and Bea Pedersen after neighbors complained that Mark Pedersen was causing a disturbance in the front yard.
When the officers arrived, they found Pedersen barricaded in his bedroom. Hughes shot Pedersen twice, and one of the bullets apparently lodged in Raduziner’s calf.
The suit alleges that Pedersen’s parents were negligent for failing to warn the officers of their son’s violent tendencies.
“None of the defendants made any efforts to control the actions of defendant Mark Pedersen or to warn [the officers] of the violent propensities and unpredictable behavior” of Mark Pedersen, alleges the suit, which seeks unspecified damages. A hearing has been scheduled for May.
The suit was filed in the Simi Valley branch of the Ventura County Superior Court in January.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
