The family of a man who was shot and killed by police during a chase in Culver City late last year is filing a federal civil rights lawsuit against the department alleging excessive force.
Video of the fatal encounter was shared by the family’s attorney on Tuesday, which shows Guillermo Medina running from police on Dec. 18 and falling to the ground after being shot in the back.
Medina’s family alleges he was unarmed and mentally ill, and that officers failed to provide timely medical care that could have prevented his death.
The lawsuit claims Medina, who had paranoid schizophrenia, was having a mental breakdown during the incident.
Though he was acting erratically, he told officers he was not going to hurt anyone and begged them to use restraint, his family alleges.
No weapon was displayed at the time, nor was one found at the scene, his family said. Police, however, said they found a replica firearm in Medina’s vehicle.
Police said they were responding to a domestic violence call and that Medina fled in his car and ran away after he crashed into a center median.
That’s when the officer-involved shooting occurred, police said.
Medina’s wife said she called the police and “clearly expressed” her husband was in crisis.
“It was made clear to the dispatcher, it was made clear to the officer who was in my house over and over and over,” Adriana Medina said Tuesday. “I said it for an hour.”
Guillermo Medina left behind three children, ages 11, 17 and 20.
A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help the Medina family with living and funeral expenses.
Culver City police issued a video breaking down the events leading up to and including the shooting.
In that video, police said the incident is subject to four independent investigations: the California Department of Justice, the California Attorney General’s Office, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office and the CCPD Professional Standards Unit.