A Phoenix family is demanding justice after Ramon Timothy Lopez, 28, died in police custody following what has been deemed by a judge as potential excessive use of force. The federal lawsuit against the city's police department, citing excessive force, failure to intervene and wrongful death after the incident in August 2020, is pushing forward without the cushion of 'qualified immunity' for the officers involved, as reported by ABC15.
Lopez was arrested on minor charges but showed erratic behavior prompting officers to restrain him using a RIPP restraint, effectively hogtying him, during the altercation, the detainment was judged reasonable initially however, the mode of transport, face-down in a prone position in the back of a police vehicle was clearly against Phoenix police's own policies, which may have contributed to Lopez's death, "A reasonable jury could conclude that the Officer Defendants were deliberately indifferent to a serious risk to Lopez's safety," Judge Michael Liburdi ruled in the case as a statement obtained by ABC15 suggests.
This situation has parallels to infamous police brutality cases that have shaken the nation, and it draws a particularly stark comparisons to the tragic death of George Floyd; Lopez's family, represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, echoes these sentiments, "There's very eerie and very similar footage of the video where he's saying, 'you guys are going to kill me,'" member of the family's legal team Daisy Ayllon told ABC15. Despite the eerie warning from Lopez during the ordeal, a clear call for awareness that went ignored, officers did not alter their course of action, it was claimed.
The case, fueled by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office's decision not to press criminal charges, has cast a shadow over the Phoenix Police Department's handling of such incidents, with Lopez's loved ones calling for change and the implementation of laws to eradicate the use of hobble tie restraints, "Arizona police were wrong from beginning to end on how they treated and restrained my brother resulting in his death," Lopez's sister stated in an emotional plea to ABC15. With Lopez leaving behind grieving family members including two children, including one newborn, the lawsuit continues to gain attention as it escalates toward a potential jury trial, should settlement talks fail to resolve the dispute.
