Federal Civil Rights lawsuit filed in shooting of CCSF student

Arnaldo Casillas, Amilcar Perez-Lopez's attorney, showing crime scene and autopsy evidence at a news conference April 25, 2015 San Francisco, CA ( photo by Khaled Sayed)
Arnaldo Casillas, Amilcar Perez-Lopez's attorney, showing crime scene and autopsy evidence at a news conference  April 25, 2015 San Francisco, CA ( photo by Khaled Sayed)
Arnaldo Casillas, Amilcar Perez-Lopez’s attorney, showing crime scene and autopsy evidence at a news conference April 25, 2015 San Francisco, CA ( photo by Khaled Sayed)

Michael Burkett

Staff Writer 

The parents of City College student Amilcar Perez-Lopez filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against San Francisco police alleging the officers used excessive force when Lopez was gunned down on Feb 26 in the Mission District.

The parents of Lopez made an appearance at the conference via Skype pleading justice for their son.

The representatives for Lopez’s parents, Arnaldo Casillas of Casillas, Moreno and Associates alleges the two responding officers, Craig Tiffe and Eric Riboldi, used excessive force when they shot Lopez six times. The lawsuit also names the San Francisco Police Department Chief of Police, Greg Suhr, the City and County of San Francisco and the San Francisco Police Department as plaintiffs.

“The official version is a lie,” Casillas said.

Arnaldo Casillas, Amilcar Perez-Lopez's attorney, showing crime scene and autopsy evidence at a news conference  April 25, 2015 San Francisco, CA ( photo by Khaled Sayed)
Arnaldo Casillas, Amilcar Perez-Lopez’s attorney, showing crime scene and autopsy evidence at a news conference April 25, 2015 San Francisco, CA ( photo by Khaled Sayed)

Suhr officially reported that officers Tiffe and Riboldi responded to a 911 call just before 10 p.m. and identified two people arguing, one with a knife. Surh said the officers identified themselves as police and opened fire on Lopez six times when he lunged at them with a knife.

Lopez’s family had Dr. Jay Chapman of the Sonoma County coroner’s office perform a private autopsy on Lopez. Chapman’s report indicates that Lopez had been shot six times in the back.

“You would expect that if someone were lunging at you with a knife and you shot them the bullets would not end up where they did,” Casillas said.

Casillas said three eyewitnesses recounted that Tiffe and Riboldi approached Lopez from behind with one officer grabbing Lopez in a bear hug, Lopez escaped, ran and the officers opened fire hitting Lopez six times.

Casillas alleged the officers did not identify themselves as police when they arrived, contrary to Suhr’s statements.

Casillas pointed out that in the official version the entire situation supposedly occurred on the sidewalk.

He then produced a picture taken from a second floor apartment by Chris Carlsson showing Lopez’s body in the street between two parked cars.

Arnaldo Casillas, Amilcar Perez-Lopez's attorney, showing crime scene and autopsy evidence at a news conference  April 25, 2015 San Francisco, CA ( photo by Khaled Sayed)
Arnaldo Casillas, Amilcar Perez-Lopez’s attorney, showing crime scene and autopsy evidence at a news conference April 25, 2015 San Francisco, CA ( photo by Khaled Sayed)