$30 million lawsuit filed against L.A. County Sheriff’s Department for mother’s death

The family of a young mother has filed a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and L.A. County after she was killed during a domestic dispute in Lancaster.

A vigil was held Saturday where loved ones honored the memory of Niani Finlayson, 27, saying she was a victim of domestic violence. They said she was shot and killed in front of her 9-year-old daughter while trying to protect them both.

On Dec. 4, deputies received a call from Finlayson saying her boyfriend would not leave her alone. Authorities heard screaming and sounds of a struggle during the phone call.

Deputies responded to an apartment in the 2100 block of East Avenue J-8 and could hear the sounds of an argument inside.

As officers attempted to enter the residence, Finlayson opened the front door while “armed with a large kitchen knife,” said LASD.

Finlayson allegedly told deputies she was “going to stab her boyfriend for pushing her daughter.”

She then moved to an area near where her boyfriend was sitting down. When deputies entered the home, they said, “Finlayson grabbed her boyfriend while holding the knife in an apparent attempt to stab him, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred.”

The woman was struck by gunfire and collapsed to the floor. The deputy involved in the fatal shooting was identified as Ty Shelton.

Paramedics provided medical treatment and she was transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

According to the lawsuit filed by Finlayson’s family, the woman had “called for help because her former boyfriend was strangling her and hurt her daughter.”

“How could it be?” said Tracy Hall, the woman’s mother. “We’re supposed to depend on the law to protect us or at least try to protect us the best they can but it seems like their heart was not there. They chose to do something different and devastate everyone’s lives that were impacted.”

“She called for help in her apartment,” said Lamont Finlayson, the woman’s father. “A violent domestic call. They get there and instead of them treating the perpetrator with justice, they turn it around and she becomes the perpetrator but in reality, she was the victim.”

“We don’t understand why a woman who calls for help expecting the officers to protect and serve her winds up with officers hunting and killing her,” said Bradley Gage, the attorney representing Finlayson’s family. “There was a 9-year-old who could’ve been shot and killed. Officers should be trained that they’re not supposed to shoot and kill when they don’t know who’s there or what the surroundings are.”

A statement from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said:

“The Department has not officially received this claim but takes all deputy-involved shootings seriously. In the effort of transparency, the Department will be releasing the body-worn camera footage of the incident by next week, which is earlier than the required timeframe.

With any deputy-involved shooting there is a robust review process, which includes the Office of Inspector General, where every aspect of the shooting is thoroughly examined and evaluated to see if Department policies and procedures were followed.

Additionally, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Justice System Integrity Division, conducts a legal analysis to determine whether any criminal charges will be filed and if the shooting was legally justified. The Department is deeply committed to protecting our diverse communities without bias and prejudice.”

A kitchen knife with an approximate eight-inch blade was recovered at the scene. No other injuries were reported during the incident. A summary of the incident from LASD can be read here.

Anyone with information regarding this case can call LASD’s homicide detectives at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted to L.A. Crimestoppers at 800-222-8477.