LOS ANGELES, Ca., June 26, 2015— Attorneys who represent Keith Cheung, the most seriously injured victim in last year’s shooting rampage in Isla Vista, CA have filed a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Brian Kabateck the managing partner with the Los Angeles plaintiff’s firm, Kabateck LLP filed the lawsuit on behalf of Mr. Cheung who is suing Santa Barbara County, The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department, University of California Santa Barbara and the shooter’s parents Peter Rodger and Li Chin Rodger. The complaint alleges negligence, false imprisonment and civil rights violations.
21-year-old Cheung suffered a severe head injury, fractures and lacerations while riding his bike home from work when a mentally disturbed man came speeding down the street in a black BMW and struck Cheung from behind. According to eyewitnesses, Cheung flipped into the air, went through the car windshield and was ejected onto the ground after the car crashed. The man behind the wheel, Elliot Rodger then committed suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
The carnage unfolded on May 23, 2014 when 22-year-old Rodger went on a shooting spree, killing six UC Santa Barbara students and injuring 13 others before taking his own life. The massacre began when Rodger fatally stabbed three men inside his apartment. He then drove to a sorority house where he shot three people outside, killing two women. Rodger also shot to death a man at a convenience store. Before driving to the sorority house, Rodger uploaded a YouTube video titled “Elliot Rodger’s Retribution” that outlined the details of his attack and his motivations.
“This heartbreaking tragedy has impacted many people’s lives including our client, Keith Cheung, who struggles everyday with a debilitating head injury. There are still many unanswered questions about how this massacre happened and why authorities were unable to prevent a troubled young man from committing these horrible acts,” said Brian Kabateck.
The lawsuit states Rodger’s parents negligently entrusted their son with the BMW, knowing he was mentally ill. The complaint contends the Sheriff’s Department and UCSB campus police failed to properly investigate Rodger after he posted numerous videos on YouTube and published a manifesto that revealed he was a “vengeful, jealous and dangerous individual.”
And the lawsuit argues Mr. Cheung was denied immediate medical attention after local authorities handcuffed him prior to being transported to the hospital, which violated his constitutional rights.