The parents and six children of a man who died of a heart attack during an encounter with California Highway Patrol officers are suing the state and two CHP officers for wrongful death, alleging officials misled them by saying his death was accidental.
The relatives of the late Dominick Alvarado, 33, all live in Riverside County: his father and mother, Filiberto Alvarado and Shalymmar Pool, as well as his half-dozen minor offspring. Their Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit also alleges excessive force, failure to summon medical care, interference with parent/child relationship, negligence, battery of a peace officer and civil rights violations.
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The suit seeks unspecified compensatory damages as well as undisclosed punitive damages against the two CHP officers. A CHP representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
According to the suit, Alvarado was involved in a traffic collision about 8:30 a.m. July 21, 2023, on the southbound San Diego (405) Freeway after having suffered that morning from a psychotic experience related to his schizophrenia and a bipolar disorder conditions. Alvarado left the scene due to his condition, but returned later and was assaulted by the two CHP officers, according to the complaint…