Ari Young, a Victorville resident shot six times by San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies in 2019, has filed a civil suit against the county alleging excessive force, racial discrimination and violation of the Equal Protection Clause.
The deputies were responding to a Sept. 4, 2019, call made by Young’s mother, who said Young was experiencing psychiatric distress. It was the second call she had made in two days regarding Young.
Young beat and disarmed one of the responding deputies before firing two shots with her gun.
He was charged with assault with a firearm on a peace officer, the discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, removing a police officer’s firearm, attempted murder, resisting an executive officer and battery against a peace officer.
He was acquitted by jury on May 31, 2023, of assault with a firearm, but convicted of discharging a firearm with gross negligence. He was found not guilty of the other charges by reason of insanity July 8, 2022.
Young’s complaint laid out the following narrative:
Sheriff’s Deputy Megan Forsberg did not review the notes of the previous day’s call when arriving at the Young residence five miles west of Victorville’s Spring Valley Lake, and did not know it was a psychiatric crisis call. When she appeared, Young’s mother exited the house with a knife in her hand, followed by Young.
Forsberg immediately began to detain Young in what the complaint claims is an unlawful detention. During the struggle, Young grabbed and threw away Forsberg’s baton. Forsberg pulled out her firearm, and threatened to shoot Young. Young punched Forsberg repeatedly, forcing her to the ground. Forsberg missed a shot to Young’s head, and Young wrestled the gun from her hands.
Young stood up, walked backward, walked into the street, and fired a bullet away from Forsberg, who was then running away.
Three other deputies arrived in separate vehicles. Young fired another round in the air, then placed his hands up in surrender.
Deputy Michael Martinez then fired at Young. He testified under oath that he fired less than a second after Deputy Nicholas Collas told Young to drop the gun.
Martinez and Collas fired 18 rounds, six of which hit Young. Martinez fired a final shot near the base of Young’s spine 20 seconds after the initial volley, during which Young was lying in the street.
Young survived, but suffered permanent injuries, which the complaint does not identify.
District Attorney’s investigation
The shooting was investigated by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. Their Jan. 3, 2024, report matches the facts supplied by Young, but finds that the deputies exercised in self-defense and in a reasonable manner.
“Deputy Martinez was pressed to make a split-second judgment under mounting stress and the reasonable belief that Mr. Young had no intention of surrendering to deputies, was armed and immediately capable of continuing to fire at deputies,” the report said.
Case information
Young’s criminal case is Case No. FVI19002410
Case No. 5:24-cv-00592
Darren Harris of Irvine’s Harris Grombchevsky represents Young.
Attorneys for the county have not yet been announced.
California Central District Judge Sunshine Suzanne Sykes presides.
Read the complaint here.
Read the DA’s report here.
