A family is suing Los Angeles County and the Sheriff’s Department after a 27-year-old Black woman was shot and killed by police.
According to People, the family of Niani Finlayson filed a $30 million claim last week, alleging wrongful death and civil rights violations.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call of a domestic disturbance at an apartment in Lancaster on December 4. Finlayson called authorities because a man allegedly refused to leave the apartment, according to police.
“When responding deputies arrived on scene, they witnessed a domestic disturbance between a male and female,” the sheriff’s department said in the statement.
“The female was armed with a large kitchen knife,” the statement continued. “The female made verbal threats indicating she was going to harm the male with the knife. When the female approached the male with the knife, a deputy-involved shooting occurred.”
“Only one deputy was involved in the shooting and a knife was recovered at the scene,” the statement added.
Ty Shelton was identified as the deputy who fatally shot Finlayson. Finlayson was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The family’s attorney, Brad Gage, shared details about the $30 million claim at a press conference last week.
“Niani had been given a knife to try to protect herself from this man that was accused of attacking her,” Gage said in a statement.
According to the claim obtained by People, the man strangled Finlayson and hurt her nine-year-old daughter before she called 911.
“After the shooting, the [man] told the Deputies there was no reason for them to shoot Niana. The response? Beat up the [man],” the claim further alleges. “While some may believe that the [man] ‘got what he deserved,’ Deputies are not allowed to needlessly kill women and they are not allowed to engage in vigilante justice. No one is above the law.”
According to the claim, Finlayson was “sitting on…
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