The family of a mentally ill Whittier man who was killed by sheriff’s deputies four years ago has conditionally settled a lawsuit against Los Angeles County alleging the victim should have been placed on a psychiatric hold instead of being shot, according to court papers obtained Tuesday.
The civil rights suit, filed in 2020 in Los Angeles federal court, alleges that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department had been aware prior to the day of the shooting that 37-year-old Marco Vazquez Jr. had mental health problems. Specifically, a family attorney said, Vazquez had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
A joint filing Monday states that plaintiffs and defendants have reached a “full and final resolution” of claims, pending approval by the Los Angeles County Claims Board and Board of Supervisors — a process expected to take at least six months.
Details of the proposed settlement were not released, and a plaintiffs’ attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sheriff’s officials said previously that Vazquez was shot only after threatening deputies with a knife.
“First, we want to extend our condolences to the Vazquez family,” the department said in a statement released after the lawsuit was filed. “Tragically, Mr. Marco Vazquez Jr., who is at the center of this lawsuit, advanced towards our deputies with a knife. Again, at this time, we cannot comment any further on this case as it remains under investigation and pending litigation.”
Shortly after LASD and the psychiatric team left the family home on Rexall Avenue after the first two-hour visit on the night of Oct. 6, 2019, Vazquez told his family that he was suicidal, and the man’s daughter again dialed 911, plaintiffs’ attorney Luis Carrillo told reporters.
This time, only sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene, and within seconds after their arrival to the family home, Vazquez was shot 10 times and killed in front of his family with “deliberate indifference,” the complaint alleges.
At a news conference in downtown Los Angeles to announce the lawsuit, Christopher Vasquez said his brother’s death could have been prevented.
“There’s bullets that are made of rubber, there are stun guns,” he said. “There are other things that could have been done to prevent my brother’s death. It’s not fair that we have to be here and show our mourning and our sorrow in front of live cameras because no one should ever have to go through this.”
Defendants also include former Sheriff Alex Villanueva, Dr. Jonathan E. Sherin, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, and other county employees. The suit sought a jury trial and unspecified compensatory damages.
“The family wants these officers fired — and if they’re not fired they should be retrained so they don’t go out into the community and commit a senseless killing again,” Carrillo said. “Without even giving him a chance, they shot and killed him. Within seconds. And shot him 10 times.”