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The family of a 19-year-old man shot and killed by Fullerton police announced Wednesday, April 2, that they have filed a legal claim against the city demanding transparency and justice for what they believe was an unjustified shooting.
The claim seeks unspecified damages, the family’s attorney, Michael Carrillo said during a press conference in front of Fullerton City Hall Wednesday morning. A claim is generally a required precursor before a lawsuit can be filed against a government agency.
But the family was demanding transparency and calling on the Fullerton Police Department to release body-worn camera footage and other relevant footage of the March 15 fatal shooting. They also called on Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office to investigate the shooting, claiming the suspect, Pedro Garcia, was unarmed.
But the department, in a statement provided to a reporter following the press conference, said the Orange County District Attorney’s Office was probing the shooting because Garcia was armed.
“Per state law, we will release relevant videos, recordings, and images via a Critical Incident Community Briefing Video within 45 days of the incident,” the statement read.
Fullerton police officers were called about 11:50 p.m. on March 15 to a home in the 700 block of West Orangethorpe Avenue after a man called and said his brother had a knife and had swung it at his father, police said in a press release following the officer-involved shooting.
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Gabriela Ordones Campos, mother of Pedro Garcia, reacts during a press conference in front of Fullerton City Hall in Fullerton, CA on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Attorneys announced the filing of a legal claim against the city after Pedro Garcia was shot and killed by Fullerton police on March 15, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
When they arrived, Garcia was found outside the home on a sidewalk, but was uncooperative when given commands, Sgt. Billy Phu told freelance news organization OC Hawk. Police said they tried to subdue the man with less than lethal force, but at one point, Garcia allegedly abruptly lifted his shirt and removed what looked like a Smith & Wesson handgun, prompting officers to open fire.
The weapon turned out to be a pellet gun; police released a photo of the pellet gun in their statement following the shooting.
Family members claimed police shot at Garcia some 30 times, including after he had fallen to the ground. They also claimed that when police arrived, they told officers they had taken the knife from him and that he was no longer armed.
