Feb. 07--A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy who fatally shot an unarmed man along the railroad tracks in Paramount last October has been identified as a veteran lawman who was assigned to the department's Lakewood station.
Bryan Moreno, who has been with the Sheriff's Department for more than seven years, was identified as the deputy who fatally shot Oscar Ramirez Jr. on Oct. 27.
Ramirez was shot after being confronted on the railroad tracks that run adjacent to Paramount High School and a small city park.
Attorney Ron Kaye, who is representing the family in a claim against L.A. County, said Ramirez was unarmed and shot five times, four of the rounds hitting him in the back.
Lt. Eddie Hernandez said the deputies had responded to the park near Rosecrans Avenue and Paramount Boulevard after a 12-year-old student from a nearby school told her mother that she had seen two men armed with a knife and handgun.
According to Hernandez, one of the deputies saw two men who matched the descriptions, but they ran off before he could approach them. One of the men was believed to be Ramirez, he said.
The deputy chased after the man, who investigators said kept his right arm behind his back and refused to follow instructions from the deputy.
"At one point he removed his arm from the back in a threatening manner, and that's what caused the deputy to believe he was armed," Hernandez told The Times.
The Ramirez family, which has expressed frustration at what they believe is the lack of information released by the Sheriff's Department in the case, is now seeking the release of Ramirez's autopsy report.
Early this year Ramirez's brother, Kristian, addressed county supervisors, asking about the autopsy.
"This is just a peace of mind, a piece of paper that we're asking for," he told the board. "I really hope I hear your support in releasing this autopsy on my family's behalf."
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