By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing:
• A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury returned a verdict Feb. 20 rejecting a plaintiff’s claim against the Los Angeles Police Department in a fatal officer-involved shooting.
• The claim alleged the officer was killed in a training incident and that LAPD personnel mishandled a sexual assault report; jurors found no liability.
• The lawsuit was filed by the estate of an LAPD officer who died after a 2019 shooting in South Los Angeles.
• The case stemmed from events surrounding a training area and conduct of LAPD members, with legal testimony presented over multiple days.
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury on Friday found that the Los Angeles Police Department and its employees were not liable in a lawsuit filed over the death of an LAPD officer and allegations related to department training and a sexual assault report.
Carolyn Cole/TNS
The lawsuit, brought by the estate of Officer Marvin “Marty” Johnson Jr., focused on whether department actions surrounding a 2019 shooting and related incidents violated policy or contributed to his death. Jurors deliberated evidence and testimony over multiple days before returning their verdict.
Plaintiff attorneys had argued that LAPD mishandled a sexual assault complaint and that Johnson’s death was connected to a training environment; defense attorneys maintained that department personnel acted within policy and that the shooting was unrelated to training procedures. The jury sided with the defense on all claims.
The verdict ends the civil lawsuit, and no damages will be awarded to the plaintiff’s estate. Court records indicate the matter will not proceed to further trial phases related to these claims.
City and LAPD representatives did not immediately provide additional comment following the verdict.