Peralta, et al. v. City of Los Angeles, et al.

Summary

A California state court jury delivered a defense verdict May 7 in a high-stakes civil trial accusing an LAPD officer of accidentally killing a 14-year-old girl in a department store while responding to calls about a man attacking customers with a heavy bike lock.

The Los Angeles County determined 9-3 that Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr., who still works as a police officer, was not responsible for the death of Valentina Orellana-Peralta in a store dressing room in 2021. Orellana-Peralta’s attorneys accused Jones of recklessly discharging his weapon and firing a stray bullet through a wall while responding to a a 911 call from store employees, but the LAPD successfully argued Jones had to make a life-or-death split-second decision under pressure that few civilians could understand.

Outcome

defense verdict