Family of 17-year-old girl shot, killed by Fullerton police files claim with city
The family of a 17-year-old girl who was shot and killed by a Fullerton police officer has filed a claim for damages with the city.
The claim, filed this week by lawyers on behalf of the family, concerns the incident on July 5 when Hannah Williams was shot and killed by a Fullerton police officer in lanes of the 91 Freeway.
Body-cam video released a week ago shows the girl had gotten into a shooting stance with a replica handgun before the officer fired.
The claim is sparse in details though it provides a figure of damages “in excess of $25,000,000.”
A family attorney, S. Lee Merritt, said that figure doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the amount the family is seeking but only “preserves the right to sue for upwards of that amount in the future” if a suit is filed.
A claim is a required precusor to a lawsuit against a government.
Merritt acknowledged the girl suffered from depression and possibly planned the confrontation with police to end her life. But he said the officer did not follow policy when he confronted the girl.
On the day of the shooting, Williams was traveling eastbound when a Fullerton police officer saw the teen traveling “at a high rate of speed” at about 7 p.m., police have said. The officer tried to pull over the SUV, which appeared to intentionally collided with the police vehicle.
The rented SUV that Williams was driving made a U-turn before skidding to a stop. The body-worn camera footage shows the two coming face-to-face before the shooting.
“He should have performed a felony stop … and he treated it like a traffic stop by just getting out of the car,” Merritt said Thursday, July 18. “A felony stop means he takes certain precautions. … You do not approach the vehicle. …
“These general orders exist for officer safety and suspect safety.”
Had the officer not immediately approached Williams, the outcome may have been different, Merritt said.
Fullerton police declined comment, citing the ongoing investigation.