Deaf, autistic man shot by LA County deputies

The Los Angeles Times reported two weeks ago that a 25-year-old man who is deaf and has autism, Isaias Cervantes, was shot in the back by LA County Sheriff’s Deputies and could be paralyzed.

The incident was on March 31 in East Los Angeles in Cudahy.

Cervantes’ family said they called 911 because he “spiraled into a mental health crisis.” The family said they warned deputies about his disabilities, but that the officers escalated the situation and shot at him within minutes.

The Sheriff’s Department said two deputies were responding to a call that a man was attacking a family member. They said one of their deputies was attacked and that (Cervantes) attempted to disarm them before one of the deputies shot at him.

There are body camera videos and the Sheriff’s Department said it would release them in the near future.

Cervantes’ family attorney said his hearing aid fell out during the struggle and that he was shot at close range.

On April 5, there was a demonstration to demand justice for Isaias. Here is a video clip from Fox 11 LA, but the captions may be unclear.
[Video clip]

[Sponsored Video from Convo: https://www.convorelay.com/download]

[Sponsored Video from DeafTax: www.deaftax.com/daily-moth-promo/]

Cervantes’ mother, Yajaira, set up a GoFundMe to get support for medical expenses. She explained that Isaias is 25 years old with the mental development of a six year old. She said his son was hospitalized with a spinal cord injury and punctured lungs.

The Cudahy City Council called for an independent investigation by the Department of Justice and the state attorney general.

There is no indication that Cervantes used ASL from the articles or video clips that I read.

This is yet another concerning instance of police officers using deadly force on a deaf and disabled person of color. There are multiple autism and disability organizations speaking out for Isaias.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-04-07/l-a-sheriff-deputy-shooting-mental-disability

https://www.foxla.com/news/hundreds-of-disability-advocates-protest-the-lasd-shooting-of-isaias-cervantes

https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-isaias-cervantes