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Jury Reaches Verdict in LAPD Wrongful-Death Trial Over 2021 Burlington Shooting

The decision reflects ongoing scrutiny of LAPD tactics following prosecutors' choice not to file charges.

Overview

  • A Los Angeles jury, which reached a decision Thursday, ended the Peralta family's wrongful-death case tied to a 2021 police shooting in a North Hollywood store.
  • The case stems from Dec. 23, 2021, when Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr. fired a rifle at a man attacking shoppers with a bike lock, and a ricocheted round killed 14-year-old Valentina Orellana-Peralta in a dressing room.
  • Police reported no gun was recovered at the store, and the man shot by officers, 24-year-old Daniel Lopez, died at the scene.
  • State and federal prosecutors previously declined criminal charges against the officer, with California's attorney general citing a self-defense assessment and insufficient evidence to prove a crime.
  • The Los Angeles Police Commission ruled in 2022 that only the first of three shots was within policy, and the family sought $100 million while alleging failures in training, supervision, and the severe emotional harm to Valentina’s mother.