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.
