A federal jury awarded $13.1 million to the parents of Jeffrey Alexander Monroy after a 2020 Rancho Mirage confrontation in which Deputy Cpl. Ruben Perez shot Monroy as he fled. Jurors assigned 70% of the fault to Perez and 30% to Monroy, awarding $9 million for wrongful death, $4 million for loss of life and $100,000 for pre-death pain and suffering. Family lawyers said Monroy was in a mental-health crisis and no longer posed an imminent threat when he was shot.
Federal Jury Orders $13.1M Award After Deputy Fatally Shoots Man Who Had Stabbed Officer
Riverside County Sheriff's Office
A federal jury has awarded $13.1 million to the parents of Jeffrey Alexander Monroy, a 33-year-old California man who was shot and killed by a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy during a confrontation in August 2020 in Rancho Mirage.
Verdict and Damages
Jurors apportioned 70% of the fault to Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Corporal Ruben Perez and 30% to Monroy. The total award breaks down to $9 million in wrongful-death damages, $4 million for loss of life and $100,000 for pre-death pain and suffering, for a total of $13.1 million.
What Happened
According to local reporting and court filings, Monroy — who had been working with his father’s pool service — became agitated, left the job site and walked through the 70800 block of Tamarisk Lane asking residents to borrow a phone to call his brother. A resident reported a “suspicious person,” and Deputy Perez arrived on scene about the same time as Monroy’s brother, Will Monroy.
Authorities say a physical struggle began when Perez moved to detain Jeffrey Monroy. During the altercation, Monroy produced a screwdriver and stabbed Perez multiple times, including wounds to the head and neck. Will Monroy intervened and pulled his brother roughly 20 feet away from the deputy.
Riverside County Sheriff's Office
As Jeffrey Monroy ran away, Perez fired and struck him five times — three bullets in the back and two in the side. Monroy died at the scene; Perez was transported to a hospital and later recovered.
Mental-Health Claims and Legal Arguments
Attorneys for Monroy’s family argued he was experiencing a mental-health crisis at the time and no longer presented an imminent threat when he fled. They cited treatment at a mental-health clinic the night before the shooting and told the court the deputy should have recognized Monroy’s condition.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Houman Sayaghi said the verdict shows deputies “can’t shoot somebody while they’re fleeing” when the person is not an immediate threat. Sheriff Chad Bianco and Corporal Perez were named in the civil suit, but the County of Riverside served as the primary defendant.
Broader Context
The case draws attention to the intersection of policing, use-of-force standards and mental-health crises. Legal experts say the jury’s allocation of fault and the size of the award reflect a finding that the deputy’s use of deadly force was unlawful once the person was running away and no longer an imminent danger, as judged by the jurors.
Note: The facts above are based on jury findings, local reporting and court documents. Criminal or administrative actions and any appeals may further affect the legal outcome.
