The family of 20-year-old Kevin Brayan Garcia Gonzalez has filed a civil lawsuit alleging San Diego police officers opened fire dozens of times while he sat in a parked car in Logan Heights last April. The complaint, filed yesterday, says Gonzalez never presented a deadly weapon and labels the incident a rampage-style killing. The suit lands months after the April 4 standoff and in the middle of intensifying public scrutiny over police use of force in San Diego.
According to CBS 8, the lawsuit was filed by attorney Jesus Arias on behalf of Gonzalez's relatives and claims the 20-year-old never used a deadly weapon during the encounter. The filing says Gonzalez had been speaking with officers for an extended period before they opened fire. The family is seeking damages from the City of San Diego and says the case is aimed at forcing a public accounting of the officers' actions.
What police video shows
Enhanced body-worn camera and surveillance footage released after the April shooting shows Gonzalez seated in the driver's seat of a blue sedan, at points with one or both hands outside the window while officers attempted to communicate with him, according to the Times of San Diego. The video also captures officers firing a pepper-ball device at the vehicle, then several officers discharging more than two dozen rounds into the car. Gonzalez was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries, the outlet reports.
Family's claims in the filing
The lawsuit, as described by CBS 8, accuses officers of opening fire without justification and contends Gonzalez did not pose a risk to the public. Citing witness accounts and video, the complaint argues that the force used was excessive and unlawful and seeks accountability through the civil courts.
Broader backdrop in San Diego
The Gonzalez lawsuit arrives as San Diego navigates heightened scrutiny over police shootings. In early December, the San Diego City Council approved a settlement of roughly $30 million for the family of 16-year-old Konoa Wilson in a separate fatal police incident, a payout that drew national attention, according to AP News. Civil-rights advocates and local leaders have pointed to that settlement as part of a broader debate over use-of-force policies and transparency in the department.
Legal claims and next steps
The complaint names the City of San Diego and outlines wrongful-death and civil-rights claims that are commonly raised in officer-involved shooting cases. The San Diego County Sheriff's Homicide Unit has investigated the April shooting, and any criminal or administrative findings will proceed on a separate track from the civil lawsuit. Discovery in the civil case is expected to include dispatch records and body-worn camera footage already referenced in public releases.
