When information is omitted

Victims of LAPD shootings sometimes win large legal settlements or jury verdicts against the city — even when the Police Commission has ruled that the officers acted properly. One reason: The commission often does not have all the facts. Here are 15 shootings the panel found “in policy” that later resulted in legal payments of $500,000 or more. In each case, the commission based its ruling on an investigative summary from the LAPD that omitted key information.

Jan. 22, 1986

Victim: Javier Perez, 28, shot and killed in the parking lot of a Van Nuys condominium complex.

Police account: Perez, suspected in a hit-and-run accident, swung a baseball bat at an off-duty officer.

Plaintiff’s account: The officer beat the unarmed Perez with the butt of his gun, then shot him repeatedly while the suspect was on his knees.

Missing from LAPD summary: The angle at which bullets entered Perez’s body contradicted the officer’s account.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $630,000.

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Nov. 6, 1987

Victim: Adelaido Altamirano, 41, a Los Angeles Coliseum groundskeeper, shot and paralyzed from the waist down.

Police account: Altamirano pointed a gun at an off-duty officer.

Plaintiff’s account: Altamirano brandished a gun to fend off a mugger. The officer shot without warning.

Missing from LAPD summary: The path of the bullet through Altamirano’s body showed he was not pointing his gun at the officer when he was shot.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $5.5 million.

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March 23, 1988

Victim: Jaime Cardona, 24, shot and paralyzed from the waist down outside a San Fernando Valley apartment building.

Police account: Two officers tried to arrest Cardona for allegedly brandishing a gun. One officer shot Cardona when he tried to grab her partner’s weapon.

Plaintiff’s account: Cardona was unarmed and never made a move for the officer’s weapon.

Missing from LAPD summary: Civilian witnesses said Cardona did not grab the officer’s gun.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $675,000.

*

Jan. 13, 1993

Victim: Clarence Watson, 26, shot and paralyzed from the waist down after a traffic stop in South Los Angeles.

Police account: Watson pointed a gun at the officer.

Plaintiff’s account: Watson was unarmed.

Missing from LAPD summary: Gunshot wounds to Watson’s right palm indicate he was not holding a gun.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $3.5 million.

*

April 25, 1993

Victim: Justice Hasan Netherly, 43, shot to death on the porch of his South Los Angeles home after he called 911 to report a disturbance.

Police account: Netherly threatened an officer with a weapon that appeared to be an ax. It turned out to be a large stick.

Plaintiff’s account: Netherly called police after getting into an argument with his brother. By the time police arrived, his brother had left. The officer shot Netherly without cause.

Missing from LAPD summary: A neighbor who witnessed the incident said Netherly did nothing to provoke the shooting.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $600,000.

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June 27, 1993

Victim: Joseph Flores, 27, shot and wounded outside a South Los Angeles apartment building.

Police account: Flores lunged at an officer summoned to quell a domestic dispute. The officer, mistakenly believing Flores had a knife, shot him. Flores was suicidal and deliberately instigated the shooting, hoping to be killed.

Plaintiff’s account: Flores was unarmed and did not lunge at the officer.

Missing from LAPD summary: Flores told an investigator that he did not lunge but, rather, stumbled down stairs while trying to surrender to the officer.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $570,000.

*

Dec. 16, 1993

Victim: Sonji Taylor, 27, shot repeatedly, including seven times in the back, and killed after threatening her 3-year-old son with a knife.

Police account: After police rescued her son, Taylor lunged at officers with a butcher knife.

Plaintiff’s account: Taylor did not lunge at officers.

Missing from LAPD summary: A security guard said Taylor was not close enough to harm the officers when they opened fire.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout:

$2.45 million.

*

Oct. 8, 1994

Victim: Larry Friedman, 24, shot and paralyzed from the chest down after officers responded to a disturbance at a group home in Northridge.

Police account: Friedman lunged at police with a kitchen knife.

Plaintiff’s account: Friedman made no aggressive move toward police.

Missing from LAPD summary: Two civilian witnesses said Friedman did not threaten the officer.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $3.25 million.

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March 11, 1996

Victim: Eduardo Hurtado, 29, shot and killed after police pulled over a car to question occupants.

Police account: Officers suspected the occupants were gang members in a stolen car. Hurtado tried to pull away while an officer was leaning into the vehicle.

Plaintiff’s account: Officers fired without provocation.

Missing from LAPD summary: A passenger’s account suggested that officers chased the car not because they suspected it was stolen, but because one of the occupants made an obscene gesture at them.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $900,000.

*

July 20, 1996

Victims: Juan Saldana, 19, killed, and Oscar Peralta, 19, injured, in a Mid-City apartment building.

Police account: Saldana and Peralta pointed guns at police officers.

Plaintiff’s account: The two men were unarmed. The officers planted guns on them.

Missing from LAPD summary: Witness statements that contradicted the officers’ account.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $710,000.

*

April 17, 1997

Victim: Peter Williams, 40, shot in the stomach outside a Van Nuys tattoo parlor.

Police account: Williams threatened a detective with a hammer.

Plaintiff’s account: Williams picked up the hammer to defend his boss, who was in a fistfight with a customer.

Missing from LAPD summary: Witness accounts did not support the detective’s claim that Williams threatened him.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $950,000.

*

June 18, 1997

Victim: Leonard Robinson, 51, shot and wounded during a narcotics raid.

Police account: Robinson pointed a shotgun at an officer.

Plaintiff’s account: Robinson had dropped the shotgun and was trying to surrender.

Missing from LAPD summary: Wounds to Robinson’s right palm and index finger indicated that he had his hands in the air.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $2 million.

*

Jan. 1, 1999

Victim: Terry Taylor, 35, shot and killed in the backyard of his South Los Angeles home during a New Year’s Eve celebration.

Police account: Taylor pointed a shotgun at police.

Plaintiff’s account: Taylor was unarmed. Another man was holding the shotgun, which was unloaded and inoperable.

Missing from LAPD summary: A relative of Taylor’s told investigators that he — not Taylor — was holding the gun. Blood and ballistics evidence also contradicted the police account.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $2.6 million.

*

Feb. 8, 1999

Victim: Frank Harris, 14, shot at by police investigating alleged drug activity in a South Los Angeles home.

Police account: Harris pointed a gun at an officer.

Plaintiff’s account: An officer masquerading as a gang member shot without cause and planted a gun to justify his actions.

Missing from LAPD summary: The district attorney’s office was investigating the officer for possible criminal conduct in the shooting. An earlier search of his locker found a fake gun, which investigators believed he intended to plant.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $1.7 million to Harris and co-plaintiffs.

*

June 11, 2002

Victim: Jason Mitchell, 33, shot to death after a traffic stop in South Los Angeles.

Police account: Mitchell drove away with a police officer standing on the running board of his truck, then rammed parked cars in an attempt to harm the officer.

Plaintiff’s account: The officer shot Mitchell after the truck had come to a stop and he was no longer in danger. Mitchell had his hands raised in surrender.

Missing from LAPD summary: An unexplained gunshot wound to Mitchell’s hand.

Commission ruling: In policy.

Legal payout: $1.25 million.

*

SOURCE: LAPD, city attorney’s office, court records