The wife of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy who died by suicide has filed a $20 million wrongful death claim against the county over “zombie” officers struggling with stress from excessive overwork.
The claim was filed Thursday by attorney Brad Gage on behalf of the family of Deputy Arturo Atilano-Valdez, who shot himself at home on Nov. 7, leaving behind his wife Michele Atilano and two daughters.
Atilano-Valdez was one of four LASD employees to die by suicide within 24 hours.
Michelle blamed years of prison work and mandatory overtime for her late husband's depression.
“The public is not safe,” she said KTL 5. “All you have is a bunch of deputies who are zombies – zombies walking around tired, always tired. They're not even there. How are they going to save lives?'
The wife of a Los Angeles County sheriff who died by suicide has filed a $20 million wrongful death claim against the county over 'zombie' officers struggling with stress from excessive overtime
Atilano-Valdez was one of four LASD employees to die by suicide within 24 hours
The grieving widow spoke out, claiming she did not receive the necessary support or assistance from his employers that could have saved his life.
“My daughters cry every night when they go to sleep,” she told KTLA 5. “Now it's just me and my daughters left.”
She described the night her husband died when she and her daughters were in their bedrooms when they heard a “single bang” that sounded like fireworks.
Atilano-Valdez was sitting on the couch when he shot himself.
Michelle recalled the traumatizing evening and how she tried to protect her husband's body from their daughters by throwing a blanket over him.
She said her husband shot himself after experiencing excessive stress due to mandatory overtime.
“The deputies are working so much overtime that it is literally causing death,” said Brad Gage, Michele's attorney.
“Their conscious disregard for employee safety and rights is part of the lawsuit,” Gage told the outlet.
Atilano-Valdez began his career in 2001 and spent the past 12 years in prison despite requests for a transfer, the claim said.
He visited doctors and therapists, but the overtime and “virtual captivity” became too severe, it added.
Sheriff Robert Luna, who took office last December, spoke at a news conference this week about overtime and other stresses for deputies, saying it is unacceptable that there have been eight employee suicides in the past year.
The claim was filed Thursday by attorney Brad Gage on behalf of the family of Deputy Arturo Atilano-Valdez, who shot himself at home on Nov. 7, leaving behind his wife Michele Atilano and two daughters. Pictured: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and United States Court House, Hall of Justice
As of Nov. 5, the department was short 1,200 sworn deputies and 1,600 professional staffers, he said.
“We are working on a multi-phase plan to reduce mandatory overtime… we have a number of units working between eight and 12 man hours per month,” he said. 'That worries me greatly from an employee welfare perspective.'
The number of psychiatric doctors hired by the department has been increased to more than 20, he said.
“We tell people there's no shame in raising your hand and saying, 'I need help, I need to talk to someone,' because our employees see things every day that people shouldn't see,” the sheriff said.
He said he believes many wellness problems are related to untreated post-traumatic stress disorder.
A similar $20 million claim was filed last month in the case of Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, who was fatally shot by a gunman while driving a patrol car on September 16. A claim is a required step before a lawsuit.
His parents claimed that the overtime required left him too tired to remain alert to such threats.
They plan to file a $20 million lawsuit against the leaders of the sheriff's department and the county.
According to a 2022 study, suicide risk among law enforcement officers increased by 54 percent compared to the civilian population. Illustrative image shows LA County Sheriff members at a 2019 graduation ceremony
In the photo: Robert Luna speaks at a press conference in October. Sheriff Luna said Tuesday that the department was “extremely saddened” to learn of the deaths of four past and present staff members
Investigators said Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, 30, was ambushed on September 16 while waiting at a traffic light in Palmdale, a city of more than 167,000 in the high desert of northern LA County.
The family accuses the defendants of endangering law enforcement officers by making them work excessive overtime due to severe understaffing, their attorney announced Tuesday.
The deaths of three current and one former LA Sheriff's Department employees by suicide within 24 hours has prompted a plea for law enforcement personnel to check on the well-being of colleagues.
Veteran Commander Darren Harris was found dead at his Santa Clarita home at 10:30 a.m. Monday. Anonymous sources told the LA Times that Mr. Harris died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The ministry has not confirmed the reports.
Authorities then reportedly found the body of retired Sergeant Greg Hovland at his Quartz Hill home hours later at 12:53 p.m., and at 5:40 p.m., an unnamed prison official known as a custody assistant was found at a residence in Stevenson Ranch.
The death of a deputy working at a jail was reported at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. The unnamed employee was found unconscious at home and pronounced dead at a hospital in Pomona, CA.
Sheriff Robert Luna said in a statement Tuesday that the department was “extremely saddened to learn of the deaths.”
“It has sent shockwaves of emotion throughout the department as we try to cope with the loss of not just one, but four beloved active and retired members of our department family.
“During difficult times like these it is important that staff, regardless of rank or position, check on the welfare of other colleagues and friends,” he said.
Newly engaged Clinkunbroomer, 30, was killed earlier this month while sitting in his patrol car at a red light
It is not known whether the four men knew each other and what connections they may have had.
Research has shown that law enforcement teams with fewer staff are at greater risk of employee death by suicide – a finding some have resigned to the effectiveness of mental health and peer support programs in larger teams.
All four deaths are being investigated as suicide deaths, but the causes of death have not been determined by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office, law enforcement sources said, as reported by NBC.
In 2020, 116 police officers died by suicide, while 113 died in the line of duty, a figure that will rise to 150 by 2021.
According to a 2022 study, suicide risk among law enforcement officers increased by 54 percent compared to the civilian population found it.
While national suicide rates fell three percent between 2019 and 2020, according to CDC data, rates among first responders showed little to no decline between 2017 and 2020, the study found.