A Santa Ana jury has found two Buena Park police officers, Bobby Colon and Jennifer Tran, guilty of using excessive force in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old David Sullivan, who was suffering from a mental breakdown. The jury awarded Sullivan’s mother $3.5 million in damages as a result of the officers’ actions.
According to lawyers representing the victim’s family, the incident occurred on August 19, 2019, when Colon and Tran confronted Sullivan after he stole a vehicle from his workplace. Despite being unarmed, Sullivan was shot multiple times by the officers. The plaintiff’s attorneys argued that Sullivan’s mental breakdown necessitated the use of non-lethal techniques by the officers to handle the situation appropriately.
This was the second trial for Colon and Tran in this case. A federal jury had previously failed to reach a verdict in 2022, leading to a mistrial declaration. The case was subsequently remanded to state court.
Although the officers will be held civilly liable for the shooting, it is unlikely that they will face professional consequences, according to Gary Dordick, the attorney leading the plaintiff’s trial team. Dordick expressed disappointment in the officers’ failure to take responsibility for their actions, highlighting inconsistent and false statements made by them regarding the shooting.
During the trial, it was revealed that Colon and Tran had attempted to pull Sullivan over for an expired registration on the day of the incident. Sullivan, however, tried to flee in the stolen SUV, colliding with the police car and a passerby. When Sullivan’s vehicle eventually came to a stop, he charged at the officers on foot. The officers fired seven shots, hitting Sullivan four times. The shooting was captured on one officer’s body camera, as presented by the plaintiff’s attorneys.
The defendants argued that Sullivan, who stood over 6 feet tall and weighed 230 pounds, posed a threatening presence and could have caused significant bodily harm. They also referenced a suicide note found in Sullivan’s wallet after his death as a justification for their actions.
Dordick and his team contended that the officers resorted to lethal force against a man who did not pose a deadly threat. They emphasized that Sullivan was in the midst of a mental health crisis at the time.
While acknowledging that Sullivan’s family must accept responsibility for his wrongful conduct, Dordick stressed the importance of the officers accepting responsibility and being held accountable for their actions.
2 Responses
The actions of the two police officers in the fatal shooting of David Sullivan can be likened to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. In this analogy, the nut represents the situation of a 19-year-old suffering from a mental breakdown, which requires delicate handling and understanding. However, the officers’ use of excessive force can be compared to using a sledgehammer, an excessive and unnecessary tool, to deal with a small and delicate nut.
This case is truly tragic and raises important questions about the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers, particularly when dealing with individuals who are experiencing mental health crises. I would be interested to hear the author’s thoughts on how incidents like these can be prevented in the future and what steps can be taken to ensure that law enforcement officers receive proper training and support to handle such situations. Additionally, do they believe that there should be stricter accountability measures in place for officers who misuse their power?