Case Explained:This article breaks down the legal background, charges, and implications of Case Explained: Lawsuit filed in deputy shooting of Apple Valley man caught on video – Legal Perspective
GRAPHIC: Man shot by sheriff’s deputy in Apple Valley
Elijah Brown, 18, of Apple Valley was shot and wounded by a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy on Monday, February 24, 2025.
Provided by Gastélum Law
- An 18-year-old Apple Valley man and his family are suing the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department for excessive force.
- The man was shot by a deputy who was responding to the family’s 911 call about a possible intruder.
- The family’s lawsuit claims the man was holding a knife for self-defense, while the sheriff’s department states he brandished it at the deputy.
- Doorbell camera footage captured the deputy shooting the man as he and his family ran out of the house.
An 18-year-old Apple Valley man and his family are suing the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department after he was shot and wounded by a deputy during an encounter at the family’s home last year.
Elijah Brown was shot during the incident, which unfolded shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 24, in the 10700 block of Central Avenue.
The plaintiffs allege the shooting was a case of excessive force, while sheriff’s officials stand by the deputy’s actions, saying he acted appropriately when confronted by a knife-wielding suspect.
The federal civil rights lawsuit was filed Tuesday, March 31, in the Central District of California on behalf of Brown, his mother Tamara Brown and three other family members by Long Beach-based legal firm Gastélum Law.
The 911 call
Both sides agree that the shooting was preceded by a 911 call from the family’s home reporting a possible intruder trying to get into the house. It would later be determined that residents had mistaken Tamara Brown’s husband for an intruder.
Deputy Jose Guzman responded and rang the front doorbell.
But the accounts of what took place next diverge.
According to a statement from Gastélum Law, “The 9-1-1 operator assured the Brown Family that it was safe to exit their home.”
“Prior to the Plaintiffs exiting the Brown Residence, SBCSD Deputy Jose Guzman approached the Brown Residence and knocked on the front door,” the statement said. “Deputy Guzman proceeded to hide on the side of the Brown Residence out of view. Seconds later, the Brown Family opened the front door and began to run because they were scared of the potential home intruder. As the Plaintiffs were running out, Deputy Guzman pointed his firearm at the front door and opened fire on 18-year-old Elijah Brown, shooting him three times in the chest, stomach, and bladder.”
Elijah Brown suffered “significant injuries,” requiring surgery to remove bullets and repair his bladder, according to the law firm.
Sheriff’s department denies allegations
The sheriff’s department flatly denied allegation of excessive for by the deputy.
At the time of the shooting, sheriff’s officials said Elijah Brown had exited the home with a “large knife” in hand, prompting the deputy to open fire.
“The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Specialized Investigations Division completed a thorough and comprehensive criminal investigation into the incident that took place on February 24, 2025, involving Elijah Brown who at the time of the lethal force encounter was armed with and brandished a knife,” the agency said in a written statement. “The case was submitted to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office in February 2026, where it remains under review.”
“The information outlined in the lawsuit and presented by the family and attorney is inaccurate, does not reflect the totality of the circumstances known to the deputy at the time of the incident nor does it include all of the evidence collected by investigators during the investigation,” the department stated. “The Sheriff’s Department maintains that the deputy’s actions were lawful and consistent with department policy and training. Due to pending litigation, we are limited in what we can discuss publicly. The Department welcomes the opportunity to present the facts of the case in court.”
‘Holding a knife for self-defense’
While sheriff’s officials maintained Elijah Brown posed a threat due to exiting the home with a knife, the family attorneys said he had no intentions of harming anyone.
“When Plaintiff Elijah Brown exited the Brown Residence, he was holding a knife for self-defense because he believed that someone was trying to break into his home,” according to the claim.
“[He] was not running towards Defendant Jose Guzman. Indeed, Plaintiff Elijah Brown did not see Defendant Jose Guzman as he was running out from the Brown Residence,” the document continued. “Defendant Jose Guzman knew that Plaintiff Elijah Brown and the other Plaintiffs, including two minor children, were running outside of the Brown residence because they believed an intruder was attempting to break into their home. Defendant Jose Guzman also knew that the 9-1-1 dispatcher had instructed the Plaintiffs to exit their home, assuring them that it was safe to do so.”
Doorbell camera video
The shooting was captured on video by a doorbell surveillance camera.
The footage depicts a deputy ringing the front doorbell, then standing back from the entryway for about 90 seconds before returning to again ring the bell, tap the door with his flashlight and announce “sheriff’s department.”
The deputy again steps back from the door before it is opened from the inside about 20 seconds later.
Three people are seen suddenly rushing from the door, followed about two seconds later by Elijah Brown.
The deputy can be seen firing three shots before Brown drops to the floor just outside the home.
The legal claim seeks unspecified damages.
“The Defendants County of San Bernardino and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s department can and must be held directly liable for the substantial role they played in causing the events of February 24, 2025, and so many other days like it,” according to the filing.