Family Of Nicholas Burgos, Man Killed By LASD Deputy At Harbor-UCLA, Files Civil Rights Suit
TORRANCE (CBSLA) — The family of 38-year-old Nicholas Burgos, who was fatally shot last year by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit.
Burgos was a patient at the hospital's mental health ward last October. An attorney for the family said he was in a hospital gown carrying some medical equipment when he encountered Deputy Dalila Gonzalez.
The family claims Gonzalez shot Burgos several times for no reason.
"I can't tell you guys how hard it is to be here and stand in front of this hospital where my brother died," Maria Burgos said Friday. "It hurts more because it was my idea to bring him here to get help."
Sheriff Alex Villanueva has defended the deputy's actions, claiming that Burgos was destroying medical equipment and attempted to smash a window with a metal medical device.
The sheriff's department said that a deputy was helping medical staff by moving patients when Burgos allegedly turned his attention to the deputy and the deputy shot him seven times.
"My brother should be here today," Burgos said."He shouldn't have died this way, especially inside of a hospital where he was trying to get help."
