Death by Cop 2021-2025
Search fatalities
You can use any or all of the fields to refine the search.
Mauricio Sanchez Ramos
Age : 19
Gender : Male
Race : Latino/a/e
Date : 06/04/2023
Location : San Ysidro Trolley Station
City : San Diego
County : San Diego
State : California
Agency : San Diego PD
Officer(s) :Ruben Berton
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Disturbance at trolley station
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On June 4, 2023, shortly before 9:00 p.m., San Diego police received reports of a man on a southbound trolley approaching the San Ysidro Transit Center. Witnesses reported that the man was armed, acting erratically, rocking back and forth, and in some reports appeared to be foaming at the mouth. Passengers began leaving the trolley as it arrived at the station.
Two officers approached the trolley and repeatedly ordered Mauricio Sanchez Ramos to show his hands and drop what appeared to be a firearm. Authorities stated that Ramos ignored commands. Officer Ruben Perez Berton Jr. opened a trolley door to make contact. According to investigators and body camera footage, Ramos stood up, reached into his waistband, produced what appeared to be a handgun, and raised it toward the officers. Officer Berton fired approximately ten rounds. Ramos died at the station.
After the shooting, investigators determined the gun was not a firearm. It was a realistic Glock-style .177 caliber BB pistol designed to closely resemble a real handgun. Ramos's family retained attorney Stephen King and announced a lawsuit against the San Diego Police Department and the City of San Diego. The lawsuit argues that Ramos was experiencing a mental health crisis and that officers escalated the encounter rather than using crisis intervention tactics.
