Wife’s Plea for Help Ends in Fatal Sheriff’s Deputy Shooting

Twenty-three seconds was all it took for a Sacramento Sheriff’s deputy to decide that the best course of action to help the caller, Elisa Daher, was to kill her husband in front of her. Now, we’re suing to help Elisa get the details.

Justice for Jaime. We seek justice for Jaime Naranjo, who tragically lost his life when a Sacramento Sheriff’s deputy, called to assist with a mental health crisis, fatally shot him. His wife sought help in hopes that officers would de-escalate the situation and prevent harm to him. Instead, moments later, she witnessed his death just feet away.

DLU and NPAP Seek Police Accountability . Disability Law United (DLU) and The National Police Accountability Project (NPAP) have joined forces to seek justice for the late Jaime and his widow Elisa. We filed a complaint against the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, citing a lack of transparency after it refused to disclose records related to the shooting on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.

Nearly 2-Year Delay from Sacramento Police. After 22 months of stalling by the Sheriff’s Office, this suit demands law enforcement compliance with the California Public Records Act and other state laws mandating the release of records for officer-involved shootings. The Sheriff’s Office claims current records are exempt from disclosure due to pending investigations by the Office and Sacramento’s District Attorney’s office. However, they can no longer claim this exemption under the law.

The full story. Elisa sought help out of concern for her husband, whom she loved dearly, as he struggled with his mental health. When he grabbed a knife, she called the Sheriff’s Office to help de-escalate the situation and prevent him from potentially taking his own life.

Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Seidel arrived, and Lisa felt relieved, thinking her husband would be safe. However, just twenty-three seconds later, Deputy Seidel shot and killed Jaime. Additional deputies on the scene then locked the devastated Elisa out of her own home. They detained her for several hours while they searched her home, making her feel as though she had done something  wrong. While the deputies were searching Elisa’s home, in-home surveillance video footage that could have revealed the truth of what happened was deleted.

Her Cry for Justice. While coping with the aftermath of her husband’s death, Elisa made several requests to the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office for records and information about the shooting, including the incident report. After several failed attempts, DLU and NPAP intervened with a records request demanding documents.

DLU and NPAP Seek Justice for Jaime and Other Victims. The Sacramento Sheriff’s Office claims to value transparency within the community. However, the Office has repeatedly refused to produce the requested records relating to Jaime’s death, making it impossible for Elisa and other members of the community to determine whether the Office has taken adequate measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Moreover, since Jaime’s death, several reports have surfaced of Sacramento Sheriff’s deputies using lethal force against individuals in severe mental health crises. The families of these individuals, like Elisa, have been left with few or no answers regarding their loved ones’ deaths.

We Need Your Support.

Help us spread awareness of this lawsuit. We want justice for Jaime and others like him. This suit will ensure accountability by providing public information to victims who seek answers about loved ones like Elisa. 

Elisa has repeatedly asked the Sheriff’s Office for information about Jaime’s death, but they have consistently denied her requests. This is why Disability Law United and NPAP intervened—they demand records and seek answers about how deputies are trained to handle situations involving people with disabilities.

It has been nearly two years of waiting for answers, and this lawsuit aims to ensure that the Sheriff’s Office complies with the law and reveals the truth. The Office claims it cannot release records due to an ongoing investigation, but that excuse no longer holds.

Sadly, there have been other cases like Jaime’s, where the Sheriff’s Office has used deadly force during mental health crises. Families are left in the dark, wondering what happened to their loved ones. Despite its claims of transparency, the Sheriff’s Office’s actions suggest otherwise. This lawsuit is not just about obtaining answers for Jaime’s family—it is about advocating for the rights of people with disabilities and holding the government accountable for its actions.

This lawsuit filed by DLU and NPAP is an important step towards fairness and transparency. It matters deeply to everyone who believes in justice for all.

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Photo via flickr from Eugene Zemlyanskiy. Link to original photo here.