LA County Sued Over Fatal Shooting Of A Black Man Last Year In The Antelope Valley

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - James Thomas, from Lancaster, said he watched as deputies shoot and kill his brother, Michael Thomas, in June of last year in the Antelope Valley, after Sheriff's Deputies responded to a domestic violence call. Mr. Thomas is now suing LA County for negligent and intentional emotional distress, stating that deputies shot his unarmed and disable brother, who posed no threat.

Bradley C. Cage, Mr. Thomas' attorney told CBSLA that this case is about going after one police officer in particular who fired his weapon on Michael Thomas without justification.

"...as I understand it, [the officer] lied about it, claiming that the main who was missing fingers and had a disabled gun somehow took his gun. There are so many holes in that story," Mr. Cage said.

The Sheriff's Department said that Thomas reached for one of the deputies guns while they were trying to detain him. While no deputies were injured during the incident, Michael Thomas died at the hospital.