Wrongful-Death Suit Filed in Huntington Shooting
The family of a Huntington Beach man fatally shot by police last year has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city, alleging that the man was unarmed when an officer fired several shots execution-style into his stomach.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Orange County Superior Court, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for the family of David Blackman. Last April, police responding to a domestic disturbance call shot Blackman outside an apartment where his girlfriend ran a small day-care center.
Police at the time said Blackman was shot after a confrontation at the front door.
In the lawsuit, the family alleges that Blackman died after being shot at point-blank range with his hands up as several officers looked on. The lawsuit states that the officer who shot Blackman was not properly trained and panicked before firing.
Huntington Beach Police Department officials declined to comment on the lawsuit.
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