SANTA ANA, CALIF., February 5, 2026 — The family of Victor Lopez, shot in the back by Santa Ana Police last week, spoke at a press conference yesterday announcing the filing of a claim against the city. This is the first step in filing a civil rights lawsuit.
The family’s attorneys, Adanté Pointer and Bryan Harrison, will discuss the Jan. 29 shooting of Lopez, who was unarmed and surrendering to Santa Ana police when he was killed. They will be joined by Lopez’ family.
The press conference was livestreamed via Instagram at @adante_pointer_esq.
“Victor was needlessly killed while in the act of surrendering himself during a minor traffic stop,” said Pointer, of Pointer and Buelna, Lawyers For The People. “He was gunned down in front of his girlfriend and their 1-year-old son, while trying to de-escalate the situation.”
“The officer acted alone without calling for backup and without deploying less-lethal alternatives” said attorney Bryan Harrison, of Pasadena-based Harrison Kristopher. “He failed to give Mr. Lopez adequate time to comply before callously shooting him in the back.”
The Santa Ana Police officer involved in the shooting has not been named.
Lopez, 18, was driving with his toddler son and the child’s mother about 10:30 p.m., heading home to the apartment they shared with his parents. At one point, a Santa Ana Police officer driving in the opposite direction shone a spotlight into the passenger side of Lopez’ car but did not attempt a traffic stop.
As the family neared their home, a Santa Ana Police vehicle drove up behind them and activated its emergency lights. Lopez did not pull over. Instead, he drove to the family’s apartment complex and into its garage, where he stopped, exited the car and tripped while getting out, falling to the ground. A gun dropped to the pavement.
Lopez stood back up, turning toward the officer while placing his empty hands in the air. He then turned his back to the officer and stepped away, with his hands still in the air, and began to make movements consistent with him getting down onto the ground in a prone position, “in an act of submission and surrender,” Pointer said.
“That’s when the officer yelled words to the effect of ‘don’t touch that’ and, without warning, shot Mr. Lopez three times in the back,” Pointer said. “Mr. Lopez fell to the ground, crawled toward the family car, and leaned against one of the tires while crying out that he was going to die. The child’s mother remained in the car, watching Mr. Lopez lose consciousness.”The officer did not provide potentially life-saving or comforting medical care, Harrison said.
About Pointer & Buelna, LLP, Lawyers for the People: Civil rights attorneys Adanté Pointer and Patrick Buelna started their law firm to give people a chance against large institutions like the police, government, corporations and insurance companies. They have secured many of the largest trial verdicts and settlements in these practice areas.