Family of mentally ill man with machete killed by sheriff’s deputy sues

The family of a man shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy in 2022 sued Sacramento County in federal court, saying Jaime Naranjo was having a mental health crisis and had not committed any crime when authorities arrived at his home.

Naranjo was having hallucinations and talking about suicide when his wife, Elisa Daher, called 911 seeking help for him, the lawsuit says. When deputies arrived to their south Sacramento home, Naranjo staggered toward them, covering his eyes and holding a knife. One of the deputies opened fire, shooting Naranjo five times.

According to the lawsuit and The Bee’s previous reporting, Naranjo was shot just 23 seconds into the encounter, timing that family members say shows that no effort was made to de-escalate the situation. In the lawsuit, Daher and other relatives said that Naranjo posed no threat and that he should not have been shot or killed.

The family, which is suing under federal civil rights and disability rights laws, said the Sheriff’s Office has a history of responding to people in mental health crises with deadly force rather than attempting to calm the situation and get the person into care. In addition to the county, they are suing Deputy Andrew Seidel and others involved in the incident, as well as Sheriff Jim Cooper, who took the helm of the agency three months later.

Elisa Daher Naranjo speaks about losing her husband Jaime Naranjo, who was killed by a Sacramento Sheriff’s deputy last week, while her daughter Shavon Acosta kisses her shoulder at a press conference in Sacramento on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. Daher Naranjo said she called 911 for help while her husband was experiencing a mental health crisis, but the result was that she “lost the love of her life.”

“This tragic loss highlights a critical failure in our system — when families reach out for help, they shouldn’t be met with tragedy,” said Lauren Bonds, executive director of the National Police Accountability Project, which is representing the family.

A spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office said the agency could not comment on pending litigation.

Video from a body-worn camera released in the days after of the shooting show Naranjo advancing toward his wife outside their home in the unincorporated Fruitridge Pocket neighborhood, holding a machete. He is also seen advancing in the direction of the deputy.

Daher screams as the deputy says, “Put it down.”

Seconds later, shots ring out and Naranjo goes down.

Shavon Acosta holds photos of her father Jaime Naranjo, who was killed by a Sacramento Sheriff’s deputy last week, at a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022.

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