Thursday, September 18, 2014

Family of woman fatally shot by deputy alleges negligence; deputies receiving training for mental health emergencies



When San Mateo County sheriff's Deputy Menh Trieu shot and killed Yanira Serrano-Garcia in June as the mentally ill teen approached him brandishing a knife, he acted lawfully, according to District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

While no criminal charges will be filed against the deputy, 18-year-old Serrano-Garcia's family has sued the county, alleging negligence and civil-rights violations. Sheriff's Office officials say they want all their deputies to complete a training program on handling incidents involving persons with mental illness that could prevent similar tragedies, but it may be a long time before all personnel have received the training.

The June 3 shooting occurred after Tony Serrano-Garcia phoned 911 requesting medical intervention for his sister, Yanira, saying her schizophrenia was causing her to act erratically. When Trieu approached the family's Half Moon Bay apartment, a knife-wielding Yanira Serrano-Garcia chased the deputy 157 feet before he fatally shot her, according to Wagstaffe's investigation.

Although Wagstaffe determined that Trieu acted in justifiable self-defense and within Sheriff's Office policy, the district attorney noted that his conclusion would be inadmissible in the pending civil suit.
The family's attorney, Arnoldo Casillas, claims negligence was a factor before Trieu arrived at the scene. Casillas claims the emergency dispatcher who fielded Tony Serrano-Garcia's call was a trainee, and that a recording of the call reveals somebody was whispering questions to the dispatcher while he spoke to the brother.

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Submitted by Brendan Bartholomew

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