LOS ANGELES – Family members of a man who prosecutors say was killed by an off-duty Los Angeles police rookie outside a bar have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city and the former officer.
The parents of 23-year-old Salome Rodriguez Jr. claim Officer Henry Solis subjected their son to excessive force, unreasonable search, and assault prior to the shooting last March in Pomona, the Los Angeles Times reported (http://lat.ms/1Q5Bd8E ).
The lawsuit filed Thursday also claims Solis and his employer, the city of Los Angeles, violated Rodriguez's civil rights. The suit seeks unspecified damages.
Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for the city attorney's office, declined to comment. An attorney for Solis could not be reached.
Solis, 27, has pleaded not guilty to murder and other counts including assault with a firearm and an allegation that he personally discharged a handgun. He remains jailed in lieu of $10 million bail.
Solis was returned to California in June after a two-month manhunt that ended when he was arrested in Mexico and deported to Texas.
Solis was a probationary officer at the time.
He could face life in prison if convicted.
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Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/
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