Oscar Alberto Ramirez Jr., a 28-year-old Latino, was tragically shot and killed on October 27, 2014, by a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy near Rosecrans and Downey avenues in Paramount, California. The incident began when deputies responded to a report from a 12-year-old student who had seen two men armed with a knife and a handgun near a city park. The student's mother contacted the Lakewood sheriff’s office, providing descriptions of the men, which were then relayed to other deputies.
One of the deputies spotted men matching the descriptions, but they fled before the deputy could approach them. Ramirez was one of the men believed to be involved.
The deputy pursued Ramirez to the railroad tracks near the park and Paramount High School. According to Lt. Eddie Hernandez, Ramirez kept his right arm behind his back and refused to comply with the deputy's instructions. At one point, Ramirez moved his arm in a manner that the deputy perceived as threatening, leading the deputy to believe Ramirez was armed. This prompted the deputy to fire his weapon, resulting in Ramirez being shot multiple times. Ramirez was pronounced dead at the scene, with several students from the high school witnessing the incident.
Following the shooting, Ramirez's family filed a wrongful-death claim against Los Angeles County on December 19, 2014. The claim, filed by attorney Ron Kaye on behalf of the family, alleged that Ramirez was unarmed when he was shot five times, with four of the shots hitting him in the back. The family accused the deputy of using excessive and deadly force and of denying medical care to Ramirez. The claim also highlighted the emotional distress caused to Ramirez's parents by the incident. The family expressed frustration over the lack of information released by the Sheriff's Department and sought the release of the autopsy report.
The deputy involved in the shooting was identified as Bryan Moreno, who had been with the department for over seven years and was assigned to the Lakewood station. The Sheriff's Department's handling of the case, including the delay in identifying the deputy and the perceived lack of transparency, added to the family's grievances. The case drew attention to broader issues of police use of force and the treatment of Latino victims in such incidents. The wrongful-death claim filed by Ramirez's family was part of their efforts to seek justice and accountability for his death.
