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Fatal Deputy Shooting in East LA May Prompt A Federal Lawsuit
A memorial for David Ordaz, Jr. set up by family members, just steps away from where he was fatally shot. (Robert Garrova/LAist )
A fatal shooting by L.A. Sheriff's deputies will likely result in a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the county.
David Ordaz, Jr., 34, was killed in front of his family's East L.A. home Sunday after relatives had called for help because they feared he might take his own life, said family attorney Federico Sayre.
Instead, Ordaz was “executed,” he said.
The Sheriff's Department said deputies opened fire when Ordaz charged at them while holding a kitchen knife.
But bystander video obtained by Fox News does not clearly show Ordaz charging at deputies.
And Sayre said based on video of the incident he’d seen, the department's claim that Ordaz had charged the deputies was “nonsensical.”
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the investigation is in its preliminary stages, and that the shooting was captured on body-worn cameras.
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