Dejon Heard (Full Name: Dejon Marques Heard) Died In San Diego County Police Shooting on La Jolla Boulevard
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA (July 12, 2024) – A 25-year-old man identified as Dejon Heard has died in a La Jolla police shooting near the 5400 block of La Jolla Boulevard.
San Diego County officials are saying that the incident began around 7:00 a.m. on Saturday. Authorities said that they received multiple domestic disturbance calls about a man with a knife.
When San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officers arrived at the scene, they encountered Dejon Heard standing next to a stopped car on the road. When officers approached, the suspect allegedly advanced towards them with a knife.
One of the officers opened fire and struck the suspect. Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help the man. Sadly, Dejon Heard was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Liability For La Jolla Police Shootings
Many people are killed or seriously injured every year in police shootings. According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, “A new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and Vanderbilt University found that an average of 1,769 people were injured annually in police shootings from 2015 to 2020, 55 percent of them or 979 people, fatally.” Police departments should take a number of measures to prevent police shootings.
- Police officers should be well trained.
- Police officers should have less lethal options.
- Police officers should have a mental health unit.
- Police officers should follow a use of force continuum.
Police officers have a legal obligation to use the minimum amount of force necessary for any given encounter. Pursuant to 42 U.S. Code § 1983, every person who, under the color of any statute, law or ordinance, causes a citizen of the United States to be deprived of their rights secured by the constitution, shall be liable to the injured party in an action at law. There are a number of mistakes a police officer could have made, which contributed to a shooting.
- Police officers may have received inadequate training.
- Police officers may have failed to communicate effectively with the suspect.
- Police officers may have failed to follow department protocols.
A large number of police shootings involved suspects in the midst of a mental health crisis. In fact, it has been estimated that people suffering from an untreated mental illness were 16 times more likely to be killed in a police shooting. Sadly, though, police officers are often poorly equipped to deal with these kinds of encounters. The family of any person who died in a police shooting may be able to seek some measure of justice through a civil claim.
Investigating La Jolla Police Shootings
We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of Dejon Heard. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. There needs to be transparency about what went wrong.
Do you need more information about a La Jolla police shooting? Our team of civil rights attorneys is here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that people are aware of their rights and that police departments are held accountable for their unconstitutional actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (949) 825-5200.
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