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LAPD wrongful death trial begins
Valentina Orellana-Peralta was shopping for Christmas clothes with her mother at a Burlington store in the San Fernando Valley’s North Hollywood neighborhood on Dec. 23, 2021, when she was struck by a bullet that had gone through the dressing room wall.
LOS ANGELES - A high-profile wrongful-death trial against the Los Angeles Police Department begins Wednesday, centered on the 2021 killing of a 14-year-old girl struck by a stray police bullet while trying on Christmas clothes.
What we know:
Valentina Orellana-Peralta was in a North Hollywood Burlington store dressing room with her mother on December 23, 2021, when Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr. fired his rifle at a suspect wielding a bike lock. One bullet pierced the dressing room wall, killing the teenager.
The lawsuit filed by her parents alleges wrongful death and negligence, stating her mother, Soledad Peralta, "felt her daughter’s body go limp and watched helplessly as her daughter died while still in her arms."
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: No charges against LAPD officer whose bullet fatally struck teen in Burlington store, officials say
While the Los Angeles Police Commission ruled only one of Jones’ three shots was justified, former Police Chief Michel Moore concluded that all three shots were unjustified.
What we don't know:
The specific defense strategy of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office remains unclear.
It also remains to be seen how much weight the jury will give to Officer Jones' testimony that he mistook the suspect's bike lock for a firearm and believed the wall behind the suspect was exterior brick rather than a thin dressing room partition.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: North Hollywood shooting: Body cam video leading up to teen girl, suspect's deaths released
What they're saying:
Family attorney Nick Rowley emphasized the gravity of the department's alleged failure, stating, "Valentina had her entire life in front of her, and it was taken in an instant due to reckless decisions made by the very people who were sworn to protect her."
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family of Valentina Orellana-Peralta, 14-year-old killed by LAPD bullet, files lawsuit
During internal reviews, Officer Jones defended his actions to the Use of Force Review Board, explaining he believed there was an active shooter and that he "mistook the bike lock the man was wielding for a gun."
What's next:
The trial will examine the LAPD’s training protocols and whether the department "fostered an environment" that permitted the fatal shooting.
Legal experts are watching closely to see if the outcome matches or exceeds recent multi-million dollar settlements in similar police misconduct cases across California and the United States.
The Source: This report is based on court filings from the Orellana-Peralta family's legal counsel and internal disciplinary findings from the Los Angeles Police Commission and former Chief Michel Moore. Reporting also includes direct testimony provided by Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr. to the LAPD’s Use of Force Review Board, as well as previous FOX 11 reports. The Associated Press contributed.