Woman Sues Deputies in Son’s Death
- Share via
The mother of a former Arcadia police officer who killed a sheriff’s deputy and then died himself during a fiery shootout at his home in Stevenson Ranch last year filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies.
Donna J. Beck accused the deputies of using excessive force against her son, James, 35, a felon who allegedly had stockpiled weapons inside the house.
The deputies, accompanied by federal agents, went to the house last Aug. 31 to serve a search warrant. They said Beck opened fire, killing Deputy Hagop Kuredjian.
When deputies lobbed a tear-gas grenade into the house, it caught fire and was engulfed in flames.
In her suit, Beck’s mother alleges that deputies allowed the two-story house to burn down and prevented firefighters from putting out the flames.
The suit accuses the deputies of civil rights violations, wrongful death, false imprisonment and negligence.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
