Facts

Emmanuel Bracy sued the City of Los Angeles and Detectives Carl Worrell, Donald Walthers, Richard Guzman, and Randy Rico, in connection with an officer-involved shooting that allegedly occurred on June 24, 2010, at around 11:30 in the morning in Pacoima.

PLAINTIFF'S CONTENTIONS:
The detectives allegedly confronted plaintiff as he sat inside his vehicle. The detectives yelled at plaintiff to put his hands up. Believing he was being robbed, plaintiff complied. Then, without warning, the detectives proceeded to shoot at plaintiff. The whole time, plaintiff had his hands raised. Plaintiff contended that he was no threat to the detectives and that the detectives' conduct violated his civil rights.

DEFENDANTS' CONTENTIONS:
Defendants contended that plaintiff had committed an armed robbery of the Check N' Go, a check cashing store in San Fernando. Unbeknownst to plaintiff, he was under surveillance by members of the LAPD's Special Investigation Section, who were investigating a series of armed robberies of check cashing stores in the San Fernando Valley.

When the detectives confronted the plaintiff, he began to point a handgun in their direction and an officer involved shooting occurred. The defendant detectives contended that their use of deadly force was lawful, as they reasonably believed that plaintiff presented an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to themselves or their fellow detectives.

Result

The jury rendered a unanimous defense verdict.