He managed to escape from a California State Parks officer’s car and fled down Front Street outside the jail. Russell, who had been on his way to work at the jail, saw Bils running and fired five shots. None of the other officers at the scene fired a shot or drew their weapons, the Justice Department statement said. Russell, who was 23 at the time of the shooting and had been a deputy for 18 months, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. The shooting led to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Bils’ family, which settled in mid-2022, with San Diego County agreeing to pay the Bils family $8.1 million.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 20, 2024 21:10 UTC