Family files $30 million lawsuit after Southern Califonia man shot and killed by deputies

The family of a Southern California father who was shot and killed by a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy is filing a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit against the department.

On Dec. 16, 2024, Metro workers called authorities after seeing a man trespassing on the Metrolink rails between Nevada and California Streets in Redlands at around 7:30 a.m.

Authorities arrived at the scene and saw Jefte Vargas Ramirez, 37, of Redlands, walking on the rail lines.

When a male deputy asked Ramirez to leave the area, they said he refused to cooperate and became confrontational while arming himself with rocks in both hands.

As Ramirez walked towards the deputy, authorities claimed he approached in an aggressive manner which prompted the deputy to open fire.

But Dale Galipo, the attorney representing Ramirez’s family, said the encounter was captured on video by a witness which showed something very different.

In the video, following a verbal exchange, Ramirez begins walking towards the deputy with both arms outstretched to the side. 

“He starts walking towards the deputy,” Galipo said at a press conference on Thursday. “The deputy starts firing. It’s almost unbelievable to see.”

At least nine gunshots are heard as the deputy fires at Ramirez. Galipo claims the deputy continued shooting even as Ramirez turned his back to him. He was transported to the hospital where he later died.

As the case remains under investigation, Galipo said that based on footage of the deadly encounter, Ramirez’s actions did not warrant lethal force.

“They’re either very small rocks, pebble-like, but I could not see the rocks,” Galipo said. “You can’t shoot someone because they’re not obeying your commands or you think they’re being resistive or even assaultive. It has to be immediately life-threatening.”

Ramirez worked as a mechanic and his brother, Tony Vargas, said on the day he was killed, he was enjoying a day off from work and would often take a morning stroll in the area because he lived nearby.

“I’m not able to sleep,” Vargas said following his brother’s death. “It’s still hard to talk about it. It hurts.”

Ramirez’s family said they plan to file a lawsuit against the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and are seeking $30 million in damages. They want justice for his death and believe there needs to be accountability for the deputy’s actions.

“We are demanding justice,” the family said in a statement. “Justice, not just for us, but so that no other family has to go through this. So that no father has to bury his child. So that no child grows up without a father. So that no mother has to mourn the loss of her child at the hands of those who should be protecting us.” 

“Why do we continue to have so many shootings?” Galipo said. “The main reason is there’s really no negative consequences that come to the involved officers.”

Ramirez is survived by his two daughters, his parents and his siblings.

The deputy involved has not been identified and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department declined to comment on the active investigation.