The family of teenager Alberto Arzola, who Anaheim police officers shot in the back on the front steps of his home, will speak at a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 30, and announce the filing of a claim against the city. This is the first step in filing a civil rights lawsuit over the Dec. 6 police shooting.
Two other claims are also being filed in connection to the unjustified police actions that night which took the life of Arzola, 19, in the 800 block of South Philadelphia Street.
The second claim is on behalf of Emmanuel Cordova, 18, whose back was to officers, with his hands in the air, complying with commands, when he was shot in the head by a “less lethal” projectile traveling up to 200 mph, according to the claim. And the third is being filed on behalf of Arzola’s 14-year-old cousin who witnessed an officer yank Arzola off his feet and shoot him multiple times in the back as he tumbled from the steps, according to the claim.
Police reportedly were investigating a suspected graffiti misdemeanor in the area, which was not committed by Arzola.
“What happened on Dec. 6 was a tragic and unnecessary escalation of force by Anaheim Police responding to a call about graffiti,” said V. James DeSimone, a Los Angeles civil rights attorney. “There was no legal justification for the Anaheim police to shoot Alberto Arzola in front of his own home. And there is no excuse for Anaheim police to shoot an unarmed man in the head with a so-called ‘less lethal projectile’ while he’s complying with police. One young man is dead, one has a traumatic brain injury and a 14-year-old is forever traumatized as he was forced to watch his cousin die while having guns pointed at his own head.
“These claims are the first step toward accountability for the Arzola family and the other victims, and toward answers about why Anaheim Police used deadly force in response to what even they agree was reportedly a misdemeanor.”
Rosie Camacho, Alberto Arzola’s mother, will speak at a press conference at 11 a.m. (Pacific) Tuesday, Dec. 30, in the offices of V. James DeSimone Law, 13160 Mindanao Way, Suite 280, Marina del Rey, Calif.
The press conference will also stream on Instagram at @civilrightslawyerjimdesimone.