The dog killed by sheriff deputies could cost Fresno the county of $ 2 million

The deadly shooting of a beloved pet should cost taxpayers of the Fresno County at least $ 2 million after a decision of appeal confirmed the decision of a lower court according to which the Sheriff deputies violated the rights of the owner and unnecessarily killed the dog.

In 2023, a jury awarded Veronica Ordaz Gonzalez and his boyfriend, Jose Ramos Santiago, $ 800,000 in damages after the Sheriff deputies of the County Fresno entered their home without consent and shot Scooby, 4, while investigating a case of vandalism. The county appealed the decision before the fifth court of appeal of California, but lost last Wednesday.

In addition to damages, Ordaz Gonzalez received nearly $ 830,000 in lawyer fees in August 2023. The Superior Court of the County of Fresno ruled The deputies violated the law on the scourgeA civil code intended to protect against threats, intimidation, threat inference or coercion.

Orolan Kane’s lawyer for Ordaz Gonzalez said the Total paid by the County for the affair would overshadow $ 2 million, the costs of the Court of Appeal which should be at least $ 400,000.

“I am absolutely for the police that protect us and did things correctly, but this example seemed to be a family dispute,” said Kane. “There are certainly circumstances where they have to hurry, but they rushed here and acted unnecessarily.”

In a press release, the office of the lawyer for the county of Fresno, which represented the county and the Sheriff department, said: “The county includes the sensitivity of the case”.

“However, he remains convinced that the officers acted appropriately in response to a threat,” the statement said. “The county does not respectfully agree with the court’s decision.”

The trial stems from a case of reported vandalism which dates back to June 3, 2018.

A couple had called the police to point out that their son had vandalized his car, causing a value of $ 500, according to the trial.

The couple told the authorities that their son, Jesus Ramos, frequented an address on South Lind Avenue in Fresno, according to the trial.

The deputies spotted a man who, according to them, was Ramos at home on South Lind Avenue, who was rented by Ordaz Gonzalez and Santiago. Ordaz Gonzalez, his father, Roberto, and his brother Omar Perez were inside the house with Santiago, who was sleeping, according to court documents. Ramos was not at home.

“It started because a (suspect) damaged her parents’ car with an act vandalism that cost $ 500,” Kane said. “My clients did not even know who this person was.”

One of the deputies spoke to Ordaz Gonzalez through a door of the first screen and asked him to go out and identify himself. Ordaz Gonzalez said she would only come out to meet the deputy at the back door, according to court documents.

The deputy went to meet her at the back door. The deputy thought that by doing this, she had given her consent to enter the property, according to the judicial archives.

Another deputy finally caught Ordaz Gonzalez, twisted his arm and handcuffed it, according to court documents.

Ordaz Gonzalez said that she had asked the deputies to show her a mandate that they had not produced. The deputies, in court documents, did not remember having been invited to a mandate.

Finally, the police brought a K-9 unit to the home. The authorities linked Scooby to a tree in the courtyard before driving the police dog on property, according to court documents.

While the police were looking at Ramos house, Scooby detached from the front courtyard and run towards the back of the house, where he was killed by a deputy. The dog went to the porch and died there without receiving any help, according to the trial.

Kane said that his customers had tried to settle with the county for $ 250,000, but the county a set with only $ 7,500 and was not willing to offer greater regulations.

“It was something in the sense of them thinking that we were too far away to find a compromise,” he said.