LOS ANGELES (AP) — A wrongful-death lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is scheduled to go to trial on Wednesday. The case stems from the tragic shooting of 14-year-old Valentina Orellana-Peralta, who was fatally struck by a bullet while shopping with her mother at a Burlington clothing store in North Hollywood on December 23, 2021. Orellana-Peralta was in a dressing room at the time of the incident.
The police were responding to emergency calls regarding a man who was attacking two women with a bike lock in the store. During the chaos, Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr. fired three shots; while he killed the assailant, Orellana-Peralta was caught in the crossfire, resulting in her death.
The lawsuit alleges wrongful death, negligence, and negligent infliction of emotional distress on the part of the LAPD. According to the complaint filed by Orellana-Peralta’s parents, her mother, Soledad Peralta, witnessed her daughter’s body go limp and felt powerless as she held her in her arms while she died. The family claims that the LAPD’s failure to properly train and supervise its officers contributed to the events that led to the shooting.
“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,” said Nick Rowley, the family attorney. He emphasized that the family intends to hold the LAPD fully accountable for the tragic death of the innocent young girl.
The LAPD's actions have come under scrutiny, particularly following a ruling by the Los Angeles Police Commission in 2022, which found that while Jones was justified in firing once, his subsequent shots were deemed out of policy. This review was supported by findings from then-Police Chief Michel Moore, who concluded that all three shots fired were unjustified.
Officer Jones later stated to the LAPD’s Use of Force Review Board that he mistakenly believed there was an active shooter situation inside the store and mistook the bike lock for a firearm. Additionally, he claimed that he thought the wall behind the assailant was an exterior brick wall rather than being part of the women’s dressing rooms.
In a related context, Rowley recently reached a significant $30 million settlement with the city of San Diego for the police killing of 16-year-old Konoa Wilson, one of the largest settlements in a police shooting case in U.S. history. This amount surpassed the $27 million settlement agreed upon by the city of Minneapolis in the lawsuit concerning the death of George Floyd.
The city attorney’s office, which represents the LAPD, did not respond immediately to requests for comment regarding the ongoing lawsuit. As the trial begins, it brings renewed attention to issues of police conduct and accountability, particularly in situations involving the use of lethal force.
