Remin Pineda, a former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, has reached a plea agreement to avoid going to jail for the East Los Angeles shooting death of David Ordaz Jr. in 2021. Pineda entered a no contest plea to one count of assault under color of power and one count of assault with a semiautomatic handgun. Instead of going back to jail, he will serve two years on probation, complete 250 hours of community service, attend psychological counseling for a year, give up his peace officer certification, and write an apology letter to Ordaz’s family, according to ABC7.
Ordaz’s family has strongly objected to the plea deal, expressing displeasure with the result, particularly considering that the altercation was caught on body camera video. The fact that family members saw Ordaz, who they claim was having a mental health crisis, being shot while brandishing a knife adds to the distress. Ordaz’s sister, who now regrets ever making the contact, called the police, which led to the incident on March 14, 2021. Hilda Pedroza, Ordaz’s sister, reportedly asked in an interview with KTLA, “Oh my God, how have we survived without David for four years? It has been difficult.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold, who is overseeing the case, acknowledged his own hesitancy, saying he “agonized over whether it was the right thing to do” but finally felt the arrangement “does comport with justice.” Prosecutors also thought the disposition was reasonable, but Ordaz’s family members openly contested the decision in court. One of the victim’s daughters, Emily Ordaz, asked the judge to provide justice “to the man who killed my father,” according to a statement ABC7 was able to get.
As part of the plea deal, Pineda will also provide the victim’s family reparations and be permanently barred from carrying a gun or working as a law enforcement official. According to the district attorney’s office, these sanctions are “the penalties of a serious felony conviction,” as reported by NBC Los Angeles. The family is now pursuing a federal civil rights case in spite of these penalties, claiming that deputies used unjustified lethal force, particularly after Ordaz was disarmed and on the ground. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has announced that the internal administrative probe will continue after the sentencing.
The case highlights a conflict between the aspirations of the families impacted by police aggression and the results of the criminal justice system. The family is “completely disappointed at the decision today,” Hilda Pedroza said, expressing their dissatisfaction to reporters. The ongoing case, which has had a significant impact on the Ordaz family and sparked concerns about law enforcement responsibility and the court system’s handling of such occurrences, will take another turn on January 30 with Pineda’s restitution hearing.
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