A person who allegedly threatened to shoot his former girlfriend and was later shot by a San Diego police officer after fleeing with the couple’s child has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the officer and town of civil rights violations, together with extreme drive.
Steffon Nutall, 29, was shot on the night of Might 19 within the metropolis’s Chollas View neighborhood after his former girlfriend known as 911 when he allegedly entered her residence with a gun, threatened to kill everybody if police got here — after which fled with their 11-month-old daughter, in response to a San Diego police video.
Nutall was shot a number of instances exterior a close-by residence a short while later. He has been charged with a number of felonies, together with assault with a firearm, felony threats, youngster endangerment and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, police mentioned. He has pleaded not responsible and is in custody with out bail pending a preliminary listening to.
Police later discovered he had dropped his weapon and was not armed when he was shot, authorities mentioned. The newborn was discovered close by and unharmed.
The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, claims Officer Robert Gladysz “unreasonably and unjustifiably” discharged his weapon although Nutall by no means posed a “credible threat of violence,” leaving him with accidents that restrict his capability to maneuver his legs and in want of a wheelchair.
“It’s a bad shooting. His back was turned to the officer. There was clearly no gun,” lawyer Douglas Hopson, whose agency filed the lawsuit, mentioned Saturday. “There’s too many facts, too many circumstances that should have made it clear that Nutall was not armed.”
Hopson mentioned Nutall went to the residence as a result of he feared for his youngster’s security, declining to elaborate. “He’s there to get his child, because he, in his mind, believes his child is in danger,” he mentioned.
Police have mentioned that Nutall was holding the child when he was shot, however Hopson mentioned that was not true. The town of San Diego and police didn’t reply Saturday to messages searching for remark.
San Diego police had earlier launched a 10-minute video of the incident that features the 911 name, police makes an attempt to seek out Nutall and the taking pictures, which occurred at 10:27 p.m.
The 911 name is partly unintelligible, however police mentioned his former girlfriend opened her bed room door after he threatened to shoot by way of it. A person, recognized as Nutall, then grabs the cellphone, not understanding who’s on it and that police had been on the way in which, and states, “If the police come to this door I am going to kill everything in here. I promise you that. So you call 911, I’m killing people.”
When officers arrived, police mentioned Nutall ran away with the toddler, and he was later discovered hiding in bushes close to different residences. The physique digicam of Gladysz reveals the officer ordering Nutall to point out his fingers or he’ll shoot, proper earlier than the person darts out of the bushes and Gladysz fires a number of photographs.
The officer might be heard saying Nutall pointed a gun at him however he didn’t see the child. The police later discovered the gun within the car parking zone of a trolley station that Nutall had run by way of whereas making an attempt to evade police. In a video nonetheless, police highlighted what they mentioned was an object in his proper hand that Gladysz could have mistaken for a weapon. The toddler was discovered close to Nutall after he was shot. Police mentioned he was holding the lady underneath his left arm on the time of the taking pictures.
Nonetheless, Nutall had already put his daughter down previous to the taking pictures, Hopson mentioned, “expecting and praying it wouldn’t be the case that the officers would just start shooting at him.”
An investigation into the taking pictures is being performed by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Division, which can be reviewed by the San Diego County district lawyer’s workplace to find out if felony prices are warranted towards officers, in response to the police video.
The investigation is being monitored by the FBI and the U.S. lawyer’s workplace, whereas the Police Division’s inside affairs will look to see if any insurance policies had been violated. A taking pictures assessment board will even consider the officers’ techniques, in response to the video.
Gladysz, a patrol officer, had been employed by the division for a 12 months and a half previous to the taking pictures, in response to the sheriff’s division.
The federal lawsuit seeks numerous damages and claims the taking pictures resulted from “policies, practices and customs” that lead to “unconstitutionally inadequate treatment for individuals of [African] descent.”
Hopson mentioned Nutall was shot 4 instances, as soon as in every limb, and has suffered nerve or orthopedic injury that has made him certain to a wheelchair. He was hospitalized for greater than a month after the taking pictures, and his launch on bond is being sought so he can obtain higher medical care, Hopson mentioned.
The lawsuit was filed by Hannah Hopson, a California lawyer who’s a associate within the Hopson Agency, a Chicago legislation agency based by her father Douglas Hopson. Hopson mentioned he plans to hunt permission to take part within the case, although he’s not admitted to the state bar right here. One other lawyer is representing Nutall within the felony case.
