At a parking structure in California, an off-duty officer, donning athletic wear, had completed his shift as a bailiff and should have begun to head home. Instead, the officer saw a homeless man nearby and assumed he was suspicious. The plainclothes bailiff confronted him. Hoping to catch the indigent passerby breaking the law, the officer began recording him with a cell phone. The victim asked him to stop. Unaware that the man confronting him was an off-duty bailiff, the homeless man flashed his pocketknife in hopes of scaring off his aggressor. Suddenly, the bailiff pulled out a gun from the waistband of his gym shorts, pressed the barrel against the victim’s cheek, and squeezed the trigger. Luckily, the homeless man quickly turned his head so that the bullet only grazed his ear. The officer, though, fired additional rounds at the man, shooting him in the back as he ran for his life.

The victim, going through a rough patch, had been crossing town on foot and decided to use the parking structure as a shortcut. He stopped for a cigarette when the assailant approached him, and the quarrel ensued. The homeless man attempted all he could to get away from his attacker. He certainly did not expect to have a gun pointed at him. The shock wave from the initial shot sent the homeless man’s baseball cap flying eight feet. As the victim attempted to run away, the bullet to his back caused him to collapse. He lost sensation in his legs.

Cameron Sehat of The Sehat Law Firm was contacted by the victim after the shooting. He hired several experts, including a forensic pathologist, and analyzed the evidence in the case — including the bullet trajectories and photos taken from the scene. Cameron also received footage from a local business with a camera near the parking structure. While the actual shooting was not captured, Cameron and his team had access to an audio recording of the incident.

The Defense argued that the victim had threatened the off-duty bailiff. However, the bullet trajectory and the placement of clothing Cameron’s client had dropped while running away showed that the Plaintiff had posed no threat. Cameron also found out that the District Attorney had not charged the officer for the shooting, saying no crimes were committed. Consequently, he knew he would need a visual to present his client’s unforeseeable attack. He contacted DK Global for a visual demonstrative. Cameron and his experts worked with DK Global to create a visual using witness testimonies, photos taken by investigators, and audio of the gunshots.

The video opened with the officer walking inside the parking structure, recording the Plaintiff with his cell phone. The two men were then shown walking toward each other, stopping approximately two feet apart. A 3D rendering of the victim showed him flashing his pocketknife at the off-duty officer, attempting to intimidate the assailant into ceasing his recording. The animation continued with the officer reaching for his gun. Next, the Defendant pressed the barrel against the Plaintiff’s cheek, attempting to shoot him in the face. The presentation explained how the Plaintiff sharply flinched, causing the bullet to go through his left ear instead of his skull. Last, the animation displayed a visual of the Defendant firing two more shots as the Plaintiff attempted to flee, shooting him in the back — accompanied by piercing audio of the gunshots. The visual concluded with the Plaintiff rolling onto his back with his hands up and personal belongings scattered at the scene.

The case went through two rounds of mediation, in which Cameron presented the animation, proving the Defendant’s negligence and liability. The compelling visuals helped Cameron settle the case, attaining a favorable $7,000,000 outcome for his client’s pain and suffering.

Cameron Sehat of The Sehat Law Firm is a civil rights attorney dedicated to helping his clients against government abuses of power. Cameron specializes in police misconduct and negligence cases. He has a history of representing clients in cases involving police excessive force, wrongful arrest, K9 incidents, prison guard misconduct, jail medical neglect, and personal injury.