The parents of Susie Young Kim, a 37-year-old Korean American from Irvine who was fatally shot by Santa Ana police on April 10, have filed an Orange County, California wrongful death claim seeking $20 million in damages, legal costs, funeral costs, emotional trauma, and punitive and survival damages.
Santa Ana police shot Kim following a 30-minute chase through Santa Ana, Fullerton, Anaheim, and Buena Park. Her 13-month old daughter, who was riding in the back of the Toyota she was driving when the fatal incident happened, was unharmed.
The Santa Ana wrongful death claim, filed on behalf of Nancy Kim and Yung Kim, Susie's estate, and her daughter, Angelica, accuses police officers of using "excessive, deadly force" that led to Susie's death. The Kims claim that the officers "knowingly endangered" Angelica with their use of police brutality, including inappropriate force and improper tactics. The family's Southern California wrongful death attorney says Susie's shooting was totally "unjustified."
The police chase reportedly started late at night when Buena Park police tried to pull Kim over for committing a traffic violation. Kim, however, refused to stop and other police joined in the chase that eventually ended in Santa Ana when a police officer shot at the vehicle.
Questionable Police Shootings
A police officer should only fire his or her weapon on a suspect as a final measure. There are strict protocols that Santa Ana police must follow for when a weapon should be drawn and used on someone. Unfortunately, not every police officer exercises the restraint necessary to make sure that unjustified police shootings don't happen.
Unjustified police shootings usually involve excessive use of force, which is a common form of police brutality. Unfortunately, unjustified police shootings have resulted in the deaths of suspects who would still be alive today if only other methods were used to apprehend them.
Family of woman killed by police wants $20 million, OC Register, July 21, 2009
Woman With Baby in Car Killed at End of Police Chase, NBC, April 10, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Police Brutality
NAACP urges cell phone use to fight police brutality, CNN.com, July 15, 2009
