Abigail Shimniok

San Bernadino police fatally shot Ryan Gainer, 15, on March 9 after responding to a domestic violence call. Gainer’s family reports that Gainer had autism and was having a mental health episode that officers were aware of. When officers arrived, Gainer charged at them while holding a garden tool. It took only seconds for the responding officers to shoot Gainer three times. He later died from the injuries in the hospital.
Leading up to the shooting, Gainer had hit his sister and grabbed a gardening tool, shattering glass on a door. Soon after the authorities had been called, Gainer calmed down and apologized to his family. A cousin attempted to call off the authorities but was told that deputies had already been dispatched to the location.
When the officers arrived, they shot Gainer within moments of seeing him. The police had been called to the Gainer household five times previously, all for Gainer, though none of these had involved violence previously.
Initially, the Sherrif’s office refused to release the bodycam footage revealing the shooting, which now reveals both deputies running away and shooting Gainer after telling him to get back. Gainer’s family can be heard in the footage after Gainer’s shooting, asking why they shot him instead of using a taser.
Gainer was described as a fun, kind teen who liked to say hello to his friends and neighbors. Gainer liked to run cross-country and listen to music, and is remembered as being strong and always happy. Gainer was a foster child who had joined the Gainer house at the age of two. Gainer was nonverbal, so his family learned sign language to communicate with him until he turned four. His family described him as incredibly smart. Gainer wanted to be a mechanical engineer and taught robotics to youth in his area.
Due to the sharp end of the gardening tool, the department labeled it as an “attempted murder of peace officer.” San Bernadino sheriff Shannon Dicus stated that the deputies were responding as trained, and that their reaction was perfectly legal. He described Gainer of being “physically fit,” and claimed that, “Juveniles can be dangerous.” Dicus blamed a “weak social network” for failing to manage Gainer’s mental health issues, as well as saying, “We pay law enforcement officers to stop threats and to stop violence,” adding, “The reality is that Gainer’s family and the deputy sheriffs that were involved in this case will have to remember this for their entire lives.”
The family has filed a wrongful death suit against San Bernadino County. A news conference was held by the Gainer family attorneys, raising questions about why the deputies handled the situation by immediately shooting a 15-year-old. Their wrongful death claim involves accusing the deputies of intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other allegations.