A Los Angeles police officer has taken the stand in a wrongful death trial stemming from the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old girl who was struck by police gunfire while shopping for Christmas in 2021.
Tragic Shooting Inside Store
The case centers on the death of Valentina Orellana-Peralta, who was killed in December 2021 inside a Burlington store in North Hollywood, a neighborhood in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers had responded to reports of a violent incident involving Daniel Elena-Lopez, 24, who was allegedly attacking shoppers with a bike lock.
While attempting to stop the suspect, officers fired multiple rounds. One of the bullets penetrated a dressing room wall and struck the teenager, who was trying on dresses at the time. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officer Describes Split-Second Decision
During the trial, Officer William Doresy Jones Jr. testified about his decision to open fire, stating he believed the situation could require deadly force based on the information available to him at the time.
Jones has previously said he thought he was confronting an active shooter and mistakenly believed the suspect’s weapon was a firearm rather than a bike lock.
He also indicated he believed the wall behind the suspect was solid brick leading outside, not a thin dressing room partition.
Family Challenges Police Account
Attorneys representing the girl’s family argued that officers ignored key information indicating the suspect was not armed with a gun.
Lawyers for the family, including Nick Rowley and Haythan Faraj, contend that the use of an AR-15-style rifle in response to a suspect wielding a bike lock was excessive.
They allege that failures in training and supervision within the LAPD contributed to the shooting.
Conflicting Findings From Investigations
Previous reviews of the incident have produced differing conclusions. The Los Angeles Police Commission determined that only one of the officer’s three shots was justified.
However, former LAPD Chief Michel Moore concluded that all three shots fired by Jones were unjustified.
Lawsuit Seeks Accountability
The victim’s family has filed a lawsuit seeking $100 million in damages, alleging wrongful death, negligence, and emotional distress.
Court filings describe the devastating moment when the girl’s mother, Soledad Peralta, held her daughter as she died.
The family argues that the shooting was the result of reckless decisions by officers who were expected to protect the public.
Trial Continues
The trial is ongoing, with testimony expected to continue as both sides present their arguments over responsibility and accountability in the fatal shooting.
