“We acknowledge that this incident posed challenges for all parties involved, including Mr. Medina’s family, law enforcement, and the community,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Loss of life is always a tragedy. The California Department of Justice remains steadfast in our commitment to working together with all law enforcement partners to ensure an unbiased, transparent, and accountable legal system for every resident of California.”
A report from the state released on September 10, 2024 on Guillermo De Jesus Medina’s death from an officer-involved shooting in Culver City on December 18, 2022 concludes that “…after a thorough investigation, DOJ concluded that criminal charges were not appropriate in this case.’
The incident involved officers from the CCPD. The report provides a detailed analysis of the incident and outlines DOJ’s findings.
Initial reporting held out a significant conflict; the police said that a 911 call made the statement that Medina was believed to have a gun, but his wife, Adriana Medina, who made the call, insisted that she had not described him as being armed.
From the state report, “On December 18, 2022, at approximately 12:19 am, Culver City Police Department officers responded to a 911 call stating that a man was banging on a door and carrying a gun. Officers gave Mr. Medina multiple commands, which he ignored, then entered his car and led officers on a vehicle pursuit. During the pursuit, Mr. Medina hit a center divider and exited his vehicle, leading officers on a foot pursuit. At approximately 1:30 am, Mr. Medina turned towards officers with a black object in his hand and was fatally shot. The black object was [later] determined to be a cell phone.”
Adriana Medina has said that she had made it clear that her husband, who was schizophrenic, was having a mental health crisis. The family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District court on Dec. 18, 2022 against the CCPD for the use of excessive force.
A press release from the CCPD noted that “officers responded to a call for service of a domestic violence incident…where the suspect was threatening … with a handgun.” According to the family’s lawyer, V. James DeSimone, “There was no report of domestic violence, there was no report that he was threatening her with a handgun. She never saw a gun.”
The California Dept. of Justice recommended that “CCPD provide refresher training regarding communications and notifications among the allied agencies involved in an inter-jurisdictional pursuit.”
Judith Martin-Straw
Photo- Lawyer Simone with client Adriana Medina at press conference in February of 2023
