Child shot by LASD deputies released from hospital

The teenager is a key witness in the disappearance of Francisco Nunez

This story was originally published by Los Angeles Public Press.

A 14-year-old boy shot by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies in July has been released from the hospital. The teenager is a key witness in the disappearance of Francisco Nunez, a Lancaster man found dead in an alleyway after being taken into custody by deputies alive. 

The teenager was shot by deputy Daniel Contreras on July 2nd shortly after 1:15pm. He was hit in the leg and chest, and was hospitalized for several days. 

“I was cooperating with them, but they ain’t care,” the boy said. “They shot me.” 

The sheriff’s department told LA Public Press in an emailed statement that “the investigation into the deputy-involved shooting that occurred on July 2, 2024, in the city of Commerce is still active and ongoing.” 

The department has released a briefing on the shooting. According to the department, a deputy from the East Los Angeles station was patrolling in the city of Commerce and located a stolen vehicle on Atlantic Boulevard. The vehicle stopped in an alley behind a gas station located at Atlantic Blvd and Cowlin Avenue. 

The car had three occupants: one adult, who was taken into custody without incident, and two children, ages 16 and 14, who fled on foot. LASD set up a containment zone for the surrounding area. The 16 year old was taken into custody on the roof of a home on Fair Street, about one block away. 

In LASD’s latest account of the incident, the department states that while deputies were waiting for a tow truck, residents alerted them to the 14-year-old running north on Cowlin Ave. In a video released by LASD, home security camera video captures the teen running, looking over a fence, and quickly crossing the street. 

On the video, he runs back the way he came with his hands above his head in surrender. He lowers them for about two seconds and walks towards a parked truck, and raises them immediately again as a deputy yells, “Get on the ground!” 

A split second later, a volley of gunfire can be heard. The boy drops to the ground with his hands still above his head. 

The sheriff’s department says that at this point the teenager held a right gun in his hand. A fully loaded revolver was recovered at the scene, according to LASD. 

The deputies did not turn on their cameras until after the shots were fired, according to LASD. However, body-worn cameras save one minute of footage prior to activation, without audio. The deputy’s body-worn camera footage shows him exiting the car, and approximately two seconds later, firing at least five times at the child. 

The boy said he thought his fate was sealed.

 “I’m dead,” he said recalling the shooting “I’m not gonna make it. I was just thinking hard like, ‘Damn, that was really life.”

As he lay on the ground bleeding, he said his eyesight went blurry and he was immobilized with pain.

“I was hearing the words they were saying. They were like, ‘Take his chain, take his chain.’” The teenager says that the deputies snatched the chain he was wearing around his neck, and took his hat. Those items were not returned to him. 

He also said the deputies flipped him over, checked pockets, and handcuffed him before calling an ambulance. He says they never rendered aid. 

“It took them three minutes to call the ambulance,” he said. “I can’t process it.”

He said that he heard the voice of his friend Francisco Nunez, which helped him stay alive as he lay bleeding on the sidewalk. 

“I could hear him in the back of my head saying ‘you’re not ready. Be strong. Stay awake,’” he said. “I had comfort, but I had trauma too.” 

The sheriff’s department said in its emailed statement that “homicide investigators will be presenting this case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for their filing consideration.” 

The teen was one of several witnesses that spoke to LA Public Press about the disappearance of Francisco Nunez. He and four others described seeing Nunez beaten and placed into handcuffs by deputies during the early morning of March 9th. The sheriff’s department denies that Nunez was ever in custody. Five days after Nunez was last seen, his body was discovered about 250 feet from where deputies had initially made contact with him. 

Nunez’s autopsy reports lists his cause of death to be due to the “effects of methamphetamine”. However, the report doesn’t account for bruising and several markings that appear to be burns that present throughout his body, clearly visible in photos of his body post-autopsy reviewed by LA Public Press.

The investigation into Nunez’s death was handled by LASD homicide detectives Rivas and Leopoldo Sanchez. Sanchez has been identified as an associate of the Banditos deputy gang. He also told LAist in 2019 that he “took a lot of pride” in a controversial station logo celebrating police violence. He denied being a member of the gang. 

The East Los Angeles station is responsible for patrolling unincorporated East Los Angeles, as well as the city of Commerce. The station also has a long history of deputy gangs originating inside of it – including the Banditos.  

LASD said in its statement that “the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled his death an accident; however, homicide investigators would like to speak to anyone who has additional information regarding this ongoing case.”

Members of Nunez’s family have documented persistent harassment by members of the department since his death. An LA Public Press reporter was pulled over shortly after meeting with witnesses to Nunez’s detainment, including the 14-year-old who was later shot. The teen himself said that he noticed deputies following him persistently following Nunez’s disappearance. 

Initial reports from LASD did not acknowledge that a deputy had shot a child. The department declined to answer a question about why their statements did not initially indicate a minor was shot. In the emailed statement, LASD said “the Department values transparency and has posted the critical incident video along with the summary of the shooting on its Transparency Webpage where the Department noted that the suspect was a 14-year-old juvenile.”

The boy insisted that the deputy who shot him knew he is a minor.  

“The oldest age I probably look is 16. You can’t see I’m a kid?” he said. “They had to have recognized me … They ain’t give me no chance, they just left me to die.”