XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.law-enforcement, alt.politics.nationalism.black
XPost: talk.politics.guns

The family of Ryan Gainer, a 15-year-old boy with autism who was shot and killed by San Bernardino County sheriff‘s deputies outside his Apple
Valley home this month, has filed a wrongful death claim against the
county, attorneys announced during a news conference on Thursday.

The claim, which signals that the family plans to sue the county, says
legal action could focus on allegations of assault, battery, false imprisonment, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

“Under no circumstances should a 15-year-old autistic boy with a gardening
hoe be shot and killed without taking the time to calm the boy down before using deadly force,” John Burris, a civil rights attorney who is among
those representing the family, said in a prepared statement. “The police conduct was unreasonable.”

About 40 family, friends and community members stood in front of the
family’s Apple Valley home during Thursday’s news conference. Most were
dressed in mourning black while some held signs in tribute to the teen.

One such sign, which quoted Ryan, read, “Make sure you have a great day,
be the spark, and make sure to spread kindness.”

Family, activists and observers displayed a five-foot-long hula hoe, a
type of gardening tool that has a metal D-shaped fixture on the end for
digging into dirt, that Gainer held when he was shot. Police alleged the
garden tool had “a sharp bladed end.” Several people on Thursday showed
that the worn and dull instrument had no sharp edge.

Ryan‘s death has heightened concerns from activists about law
enforcement’s use of force against people with autism and those who suffer
from mental health issues.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-21/family-of-15-year-old- with-autism-fatally-shot-by-deputies-files-claim-against-san-bernardino-
county

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