Justice4Medina

Justice4Medina.com 

To All Press and Media For Immediate Release:

The San Diego County Sheriff Department and the California Highway Patrol are among the defendants named in a civil wrongful death lawsuit filed in San Diego Superior Court by the young widow of Marine Corporal Robert J. Medina who was shot and killed in a hail of law enforcement gunfire that ended a long police chase through North San Diego County on November 16, 2006. 

The suit raises serious questions about the true circumtances of the shooting, including major discrepancies in official reports of the incident. 

The Sheriff's department claims that the officers shot when they felt they were in peril, but the County Medical Examiner's report states that the officers opened fire when they mistook a falling bumper on a damaged in the chase for a fallen CHP officer.

The Sheriff's Department, assigned to the homicide investigation of its own deputies, has refused to release incident reports pending the outcome of the San Diego District Attorney's long-pending criminal investigation into the shooting.

One of the Sheriff's deputies involved in the Medina shooting, Deputy Mark Ritchie, was involved in a prior controversial shooting death of another suspect Jorge Ramirez in Vista on June 29, 2005. 

During a solo foot chase, Deputy Ritchie shot and wounded Ramirez in the leg.  Ritchie then reloaded his .40 caliber Glock.  Ritchie then stood over Ramirez who was laying on his back and pumped 6 six more rounds into the suspect's chest, supposedly to eliminate him as a threat as he dealt with other potential suspects in an approaching car.

Ritchie was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in the Ramirez shooting by the San Diego District Attorney's Office.  The State Attorney General's office then reviewed the District Attorney's decision, finding that the District Attorney's office had not abused its powers by declining to prosectue Ritchie, but only because it was thought a unanimous jury would likely not convict the law enforcement officer of murder.

Ritchie has also been sued in at least three other civil lawsuits involving allegations of excessive force, and the Sheriff's shooting and shooting investigation policies have come under much scrutiny and public criticism. 

In this case, the decedent was an active duty Marine just back from deployment in Iraq and thought to be suffering the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that went undiagnosed and untreated by his command.

"I just want there to be some kind of justice for Robby," says his widow, Jennifer Medina of Oceanside.  Her attorneys are actively seeking information from anyone who may have witnessed any part of the chase or the shooting itself.

Witnesses are urged to contact the North County Law Firm at (760) 633-4060.  More information can also be found at Justice4Medina.com

Press Contact:  North County Law Firm (760) 633-4060 (phone), (760) 633-4066 (fax)or email Info@NorthCountyLawFirm.com