A Riverside Federal Court jury has voted in favor of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s department in a lawsuit involving a Twentynine Palms man. According to Sheriff’s reports, on January 8, 2018, Deputies Alex Millan and Jonathan Galindo responded to reports of a man, later identified as Daryll Speer of Twentynine Palms, and woman running through back yards in the 7800 block of Amador Avenue in Yucca Valley. The deputies located Speer, who was armed with a loaded shotgun, in the wash near Trojan Lane and Highway 62. When Speer refused their commands to drop the gun and turned it toward Deputy Galindo. Deputy Millan fired his weapon striking Speer one time. Daryll Speer was transported to an area hospital where he survived his injuries, but was paralyzed from the chest down.
In February, 2020, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and deputy Millan were served with a lawsuit alleging multiple civil rights violations, including excessive force. A jury trial commenced in the Riverside Federal Courts on August 10 and on August 17, the jury found in favor of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, ruling that Deputy Millan did not use excessive force when he fired his duty weapon at Speer.
