The family of a man killed last year by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies is suing the county.
Arturo Cernas, 34, was shot and killed in Carson on Aug. 7, 2023, after deputies responded to the 17400 block of South Central Avenue for reports of a man “causing a disturbance and screaming at the gas pumps,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
Cernas’ family said he was homeless and suffered from addiction and schizophrenia.
Deputies “immediately noticed the butt of a handgun protruding from Cernas’ pant pocket” and opened fire after he “ignored the deputies’ commands and began to draw the handgun from inside his pocket,” the release said. That gun was later found to be a BB pistol.
Video shows that Cernas initially followed deputies’ orders, kneeling on the ground and keeping his hands visible. Soon after, however, he begins reaching into his bag and pockets, including the one containing the BB gun, though he does not grab the weapon in a manner that indicates he would use it.
It’s at that point that a deputy deployed a bean-bag round to subdue Cernas, but simultaneously, at least one other deputy opened fire, striking Cernas four times. He was declared dead at the scene.
Cernas family is suing the county and claiming that deputies did not need to use lethal force.
“We’ve got three sheriffs [deputies] in this case who are poorly trained, do not know how to deescalate a situation and they resort to deadly force in a millionth of a second and kill a human being,” said the family’s attorney, Luis Carrillo.
“I just want justice,” added Cernas’ mother, Beatriz Loera.
In a statement, the department said it “has not officially received this lawsuit but takes all deputy-involved shootings seriously.”
“With any deputy-involved shooting, there is a robust review process, which includes the Office of Inspector General, where every aspect of the shooting is thoroughly examined and evaluated to see if Department policies and procedures were followed,” the statement said. “Additionally, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Justice System Integrity Division, conducts a legal analysis to determine whether any criminal charges will be filed and if the shooting was legally justified. The Department is deeply committed to protecting our diverse communities without bias and prejudice.”