The parents of 37-year-old Enrique Cortez Jr. have filed a federal wrongful-death lawsuit, alleging San Diego officers shot their son while he was surrendering after a roughly 30-minute police chase that ended in Golden Hill on April 14, 2025. The complaint asks a federal court to hold the city and the officers who fired accountable, a move that could pry loose more public records and video tied to the shooting.
What the Family Says Happened
The lawsuit claims Cortez extended his arms and hands out of the driver’s side window in a surrender position just before officers opened fire, and that his disabled truck was too damaged to accelerate toward police. The complaint, as reported by the Times of San Diego, names the City of San Diego, SDPD Sgt. Richard Curtis, Officer Bryan Shields and other unnamed officers, and argues the officers lacked an “objectively reasonable” basis to use deadly force.
How the Chase Unfolded
According to officials, the pursuit started in San Ysidro after 911 callers reported a man with a rifle who then confronted a bicyclist. Responding officers say the man climbed into a white Ford F-150 and took off. During the chase he allegedly fired multiple shots into the air, and the pursuit finally ended when the truck crashed into a pergola and then a home on 26th Street in Golden Hill. Officers boxed in the vehicle as smoke filled the scene, according to 10News.
What the Cameras Show
Body-worn camera footage released by police shows officers surrounding the disabled pickup and firing as the engine revs. The plaintiffs say that same sequence actually backs their account that Cortez was in the process of surrendering when he was shot. The video is publicly available on the San Diego Police Department, and, as the Times of San Diego reported, appears to show Sgt. Richard Curtis firing a rifle while Officer Bryan Shields fires roughly a dozen handgun rounds. Cortez was later pulled from the truck and pronounced dead at the scene.
Who Reviews Police Shootings
Local reporting says the San Diego County Sheriff’s homicide unit is handling the independent investigation, and the District Attorney’s office will review the findings once that work is finished. The DA’s website explains that its Special Operations Division reviews officer-involved shootings and decides whether criminal charges are warranted. See the San Diego County District Attorney for details. For a closer look at the Golden Hill incident itself, see coverage from 10News.
Why the Case Could Reverberate
The lawsuit lands at a tense moment for San Diego, which has already been under heightened scrutiny and faced major civil payouts over police-involved deaths. A recent $30 million settlement in a separate case highlights just how large that exposure can be, a backdrop that could influence how the city approaches civil claims and potential settlements as this new case moves forward, according to AP News.
The complaint is now pending in federal court. It will move through discovery and pretrial motions, and in the coming months those filings and official reviews are likely to surface additional footage and internal records tied to the Golden Hill shooting.
