From [HERE] and [HERE] The family of Dana Mitchell Young Jr., a 47-year-old Black man shot by deputies in South Los Angeles last year, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

On October 15, 2020, around 3:30 am, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Walker shot and killed Dana Mitchell Young Jr. (AKA Malik) at the rear fence of Woodcrest Elementary School. Deputy Kevin Walker, who was within six feet of Malik at the time he discharged his weapon, claims to have mistaken a COVID-19 style mask in Malik’s hand for a gun. As Malik attempted to flee, Deputy Kevin Walker shot him four times — once in the back of the head, lower abdomen, buttock, and, disturbingly, in the penis. After taking Malik’s precious life, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department left his body on the ground, behind an elementary school, for more than 14 hours.

Since the killing of their loved one, Malik’s family, with the support of Essie Justice Group,has tirelessly advocated for answers from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD). At every turn, LASD has obfuscated the facts, dodged accountability, disregarded state law, and has refused the family even basic human dignity. In addition to ignoring a Public Records Act request filed in November 2020, Los Angeles Sheriff’s has only provided scant explanation about the shooting. Family members and Essie advocates had to fight in order to get Malik’s body released for burial only to discover unexplained trauma, abrasions, and bullet holes, including to the back of his head and penis. 

Kevin Walker is allegedly one of the eight cops involved in the barbaric beating of Christopher Bailey, an unarmed Black man who sustained 64 to 86 total body and face hits from cops. None of them have been charged by the “progressive” prosecutor George Gascon.

Dana Mitchell Young Jr. (AKA Malik) was a loved and loving father of five children and the grandfather of three grandchildren. Malik’s friends and family describe him as having been mellow, warm-hearted, loyal, helpful, and the type of person that would give the shirt off his back to help someone. 

In LA County alone, 929 people have been killed by LA police since 2000. Malik’s family is one of a few families who know the name of the officer who killed their loved one. Deputy Kevin Walker’s name was released on May 24, 2021, several months after the killing and only after sustained advocacy by the family, Essie Justice Group and Check the Sheriff coalition.

At the time of the shooting, Young was suspected of kidnapping a woman and attempting to sexually assault her.