Mom of Man Fatally Shot by Officers Alleges He Had Pellet Gun

LOS ANGELES, CA — A man who was shot and killed by Los Angeles police after barricading himself in Boyle Heights was holding an Airsoft gun that shoots plastic pellets but was not a deadly weapon, the decedent's mother contends in a new wrongful death lawsuit filed against the city.

Plaintiff Isabella Rivera's son was the late 26-year-old Jeremy Flores, who was shot by three LAPD officers at about 8:30 a.m. Oct. 28 in the 1200 block of Spence Street, according to her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit, which also alleges civil rights violations.

Rivera seeks compensatory damages from the city as well as punitive damages against the officers. A representative for the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Dec. 18.

According to an account previously given by LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman, the officers initially responded to a call regarding a man with a gun that was reported to be a possible assault rifle.

Flores was ordered to get out of the van and drop the weapon but he refused to follow commands, raised the rifle and the officers opened fire on Flores, according to the LAPD, which also said the gun was capable of firing metallic projectiles.

But according to the lawsuit, Flores' gun could shoot plastic pellets, but he was not armed with a firearm or any other deadly weapon and he was not a threat to the officers.

"Mr. Flores lived for a period of time after being shot before ultimately succumbing to his injuries," the suit states. "The involved officers' use of deadly force was not necessary in defense of human life."

— Copyright 2025, City News Service, Inc