The attorneys and family of a teen killed during a police shooting in an LA store demand justice
The parents of a teenager who died while trying on outfits in a fitting room inadvertently pierced by a police bullet have called for full disclosure. Their attorney is calling for the LAPD to release all footage of the incident.
“Things could have been done differently,” the grieving family’s attorney, Benjamin Crump, said, speaking at a press conference outside the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) headquarters on Tuesday. “Never should this 14-year-old little girl have ended up as collateral damage at a shopping plaza.” A high-profile civil rights lawyer specializing in wrongful death suits, including that of George Floyd, Crump has offered to represent the Orellana-Peraltas, whose daughter, Valentina, died on December 23.
“Her family moved to Los Angeles from Chile in search of a better life,” he tweeted on Tuesday, sharing poignant images of the young victim.
This is 14yo Valentina Orellana-Peralta. A few months ago, her family moved to Los Angeles from Chile in search of a better life. Tragically, Valentina was killed just a few days before Christmas. pic.twitter.com/mZxFFBMjXn
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) December 28, 2021
This week, the LAPD released a half-hour-long compilation of evidence relating to the incident, including police body-worn camera videos and radio transmissions, CCTV footage, and recordings of 911 calls. However, the family’s attorneys want more to be made public. “We want all the documentation. Complete transparency. Not just a perspective that tries to justify things. We want everything released,” Crump said. An independent inquiry by the California attorney general’s office has also been opened.
Supporters and activists gathered near the LAPD headquarters on Tuesday, calling for action on the police’s alleged mishandling of the incident at a store that had been full of holiday shoppers.