A Los Angeles police officer used reasonable force when he shot and killed an 18-year-old suspect running from him while armed with two handguns in South Los Angeles in 2016, a jury found Monday.
The Los Angeles Superior Court panel deliberated for about two days before rejecting by a 10-2 margin Prescious Sasser’s wrongful death lawsuit stemming from the death of her son, Kenney Watkins. The suit filed in December 2016 maintained that instead of shooting Watkins, the defendant, Officer Evan Urias, should have called for help sooner than he did and requested a perimeter of backup officers.
Sasser’s lawyer, Michael Curls, said Watkins died at the scene from a gunshot wound to the back. He acknowledged that Watkins was carrying two weapons while fleeing from Urias, who was riding a motorcycle, but maintained that the officer’s life was never in danger.
Urias testified that he withheld fire when he saw a firearm in Watkins’ left hand, but used deadly force after he saw the second weapon in the suspect’s right hand. He said he fired his weapon from the motorcycle he was riding about 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 16, 2016, while Watkins was running down a sidewalk on Century Boulevard a short distance from Figueroa Street.
“He turned and looked at me,” Urias said. “I saw the barrel first, turning toward me.”
But Curls told jurors that a witness said Watkins looked over his shoulder, but did not make a threatening move toward Urias.
Deputy City Attorney Geoffrey Plowden disagreed, saying the officer had a legitimate fear of danger. Urias did not use excessive force at any time, he said.
“He stopped firing when the threat stopped,” Plowden said.
Urias called for backup, but had no obligation to do stop pursuing Watkins before help arrived, according to Plowden.
Shortly after the jury was excused, Judge Mary Ann Murphy said Curls had wrongfully accused her of improper conduct during the trial, including making faces and rolling her eyes in front of the jury when he raised an issue. She said it was Curls who demonstrated poor behavior when he raised his voice toward her improperly when trying to re-argue a motion upon which she had previously ruled.
At least one sheriff’s deputy stood guard outside the courtroom during the final days of the trial. Two deputies were present in the courtroom for the verdict.
Outside the courtroom, Curls said the case illustrated how difficult it is to win a wrongful death case against law enforcement. He also claimed the judge exhibited a “lack of professionalism” and showed favoritism for the defense. He called her the worst bench officer he has ever been before during a career trying 300 cases.
Curls, who along with his client is black, also contended that black observers in the courtroom were treated more harshly than non-black spectators when the judge demanded the proper decorum in court.
Urias testified that prior to the confrontation, he was on his motorcycle when he tried to stop a car in the 400 block of West Century Boulevard for having illegally tinted windows and no front license plate. Urias said he followed the female driver as she turned down side streets, drove along Grand Avenue and returned to near Century and Figueroa before Watkins, a passenger in the car, got out and started running.
Urias said he was concerned that Watkins, wearing a hood on a hot day and holding his hands inside his waistband, was trying to hide his identity and any weapons he may have been carrying as he sprinted across a service station and down the street.
Urias said that on the day of the shooting, he and a companion on another motorcycle were part of a team working to discourage robberies, including some at bus stops, by having a high visibility in the area. He said he has been with the LAPD for 11 1/2 years.