Case details

Family: Police negligent in fatal shooting of unarmed teen

SUMMARY

$1060000

Amount

Verdict-Plaintiff

Result type

Not present

Ruling
KEYWORDS
back, died, died from injuries, struck
FACTS
On Nov. 19, 2013, plaintiffs’ decedent Tyler Woods, 19, was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by Long Beach Police Officers John Fagan and Daniel Martinez. There was warrant out on Woods for armed robbery, so he attempted to flee on foot. As a result, Fagan and Martinez shot Woods numerous times. Woods ultimately died from his . The decedent’s infant son sued Fagan; Martinez; and the officers’ employer, the city of Long Beach. The decedent’s son alleged that officers’ actions constituted excessive force in violation of the decedent’s constitutional rights and that the city was liable for the officers’ actions. The decedent’s parents, Trevor Woods and Tyra Woodson, brought a separate action against Fagan and Martinez, also alleging that the officers’ actions constituted excessive force. The matters were ultimately consolidated. However, on the eve of trial in April 2016, the city agreed to settle with the decedent’s son for $1.9 million. Plaintiffs’ counsel contended that although the decedent was unarmed, Fagan and Martinez fired 37 shots, striking the decedent at least 19 times, including 14 shots that struck the back of his body from behind, many with sharply upward trajectories. Plaintiffs’ counsel noted that Fagan admitted at trial that he and Martinez fired the first volley of shots while the decedent was climbing onto a roof with his empty hands visible and that Martinez admitted that the third volley of shots was fired after they saw the decedent attempting to drag his prone, wounded body away from them using his elbow. Multiple independent witnesses testified that the decedent did not appear to be armed or threatening, and that the decedent put his hands up as if to surrender during the shooting, but that the officers continued to fire multiple additional rounds until the decedent stopped moving. A helicopter officer with the Los Angeles Police Department testified that he was “surprised” that the decedent was shot and that the decedent did not turn toward the officers, but only appeared to be trying to crawl away from them. Multiple other Long Beach officers with an unobstructed view of the decedent either admitted they perceived no justification for the shooting of the decedent, or claimed that they could not see the decedent once he reached the roof. Fagan and Martinez claimed that they fired their weapons because there was a warrant out on the decedent for armed robbery, and because they saw the decedent reaching for his waistband and appearing to take a shooting stance. Thus, they claimed that they were afraid that the decedent would either shoot them or the other officers from the roof, or try to take a hostage. Plaintiffs’ counsel noted that it was broadcast over the radio that the decedent was patted down for weapons before fleeing, but that Fagan and Martinez claimed that they did not hear the broadcast and that they had no information about whether the decedent had ever injured anyone or was seen with a weapon that night., Tyler Woods was shot at least 19 times, including 14 shots that struck the back of his body. He subsequently died at the scene from the multiple gunshot wounds on Nov. 19, 2013. He was 19 years old. He was survived by his son, who was 1 year old at the time of the incident. He was also survived by his father, Trevor Woods, then age 48, and mother, Tyra Woodson, then age 45, both of who have been incarcerated since the decedent was a child. Plaintiffs’ counsel contended that the decedent spoke with his parents on an almost daily basis and had visited his mother frequently. Counsel contended that since the decedent’s father was incarcerated further away, there were less in-person visitations. Thus, the decedent’s parents sought recovery of wrongful death damages, as well as recovery of punitive damages.
COURT
United States District Court, Central District, Los Angeles, CA

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