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Jury Awards $13.1 Million After Excessive-Force Finding in Riverside County Deputy Shooting

Jurors concluded the deputy faced no imminent threat when he fired as Jeffrey Monroy fled about 20 feet away.

Overview

  • Jurors assigned 70% of the fault to Cpl. Ruben Perez and 30% to Jeffrey Monroy.
  • The award includes $9 million in wrongful-death damages, $4 million for loss of life, and $100,000 for pre-death pain and suffering.
  • Monroy stabbed Perez with a screwdriver during a struggle, and the deputy was treated at a hospital and recovered.
  • Plaintiffs said Monroy was experiencing a mental health crisis and had been treated the prior night, and attorneys said he was shot three times in the back and twice in the side.
  • Attorneys described the verdict as the county’s largest excessive-force award to date, and it was not immediately clear whether the county or the named officers will appeal.