Allegedly fired fromPalmdale Sheriff’s Station
A 62-year-old man is suing Los Angeles County, alleging that he was accidentally struck in the head by a projectile fired from the Palmdale Sheriff's Station while he was driving along Sierra Highway.
Birch Wellington Pender's Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges battery, negligence, negligent hiring, training and supervision and civil rights violations. He seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
A sheriff's department representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Monday.
The incident occurred while the Palmdale resident was driving his pickup truck south on Sierra Highway about 4:15 p.m. on May 4, 2022, the suit states. The Palmdale Sheriff's Station is located on East Avenue Q, just east of Sierra Highway.
The 40mm projectile shattered a window on Pender's truck, hit him in the head and left him with severe, permanent injuries and emotional distress, according to the suit.
Pender has been unable to perform his job to the extent he could before being hurt and faces an ongoing reduction in income, the suit states.
