Family Suing L.A. County Over Deputy’s Suicide, Claiming Overtime Led to Death
Brad Gage, the attorney representing the Atilano family, is also representing Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer’s family in their similar wrongful death claim.
The family of L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy Arturo Atilano-Valdez, who has now been identified as the fourth LASD employee to die by suicide in a 24 hour period in early November, is reportedly planning to file a $20 million wrongful death lawsuit against the department and L.A. County.
His wife, Michele Atilano, and their two young daughters filed a government claim on Thursday, which is required before suing a government agency. The family is accusing the LASD and the county of forcing mandatory overtime that they say contributed to Deputy Atilano-Valdez’s death, the Laist reports.
Brad Gage, the attorney representing the Atilano family, is also representing Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer’s family in their similar wrongful death claim.
“This is literally a life and death situation,” Gage said at a news conference Friday. “Deputies are being forced to work overtime in an amount that is unsafe – unsafe to them and unsafe to others.”
According to Gage, Deputy Atilano-Valdez was working regular double shifts, which meant he was getting home around 11 p.m. each night and waking up for work at 4 a.m. the next morning.
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