Legal claim blames overtime, years of jail work led to Los Angeles County deputy’s suicide
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The family of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who killed himself has filed a $20 million wrongful-death claim against the county, blaming years of working in jails and mandatory overtime for his depression.
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 wife Michele Atilano and two daughters. A claim is a required step before a lawsuit.
Atilano-Valdez started his career in 2001 and spent the last 12 years assigned to jails despite requests to be transferred, the claim said. He saw doctors and therapists but the overtime and “virtual imprisonment” became too severe, it said.
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 Sept. 16. His parents claim that required overtime left him too fatigued to stay alert to such threats.
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Sheriff Robert Luna, who took office last December, addressed overtime and other strains on deputies during a press conference this week, saying it was unacceptable that there have been eight employee suicides in the past year.
As of Nov. 5, the department was short 1,200 sworn deputies and 1,600 professional staff members, he said.
“We are working on a multiphase plan to reduce mandatory overtime ... we have some units that are working mandates between eight and 12 a month,” he said. “That concerns me greatly from an employee wellness perspective.”
The number of psychiatric doctors hired by the department has been boosted 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 somebody’ because our employees see things on a daily basis that people shouldn’t see,” the sheriff said.
He said he believes a lot of wellness issues involve untreated post-traumatic stress disorder.
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