Everett Byram Video

Content Warning: This article contains descriptions of police use of deadly force and suicide ideation.

Everett Byram, a 34-year-old comedian and writer, was fatally shot by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Blake Runge on February 10, 2023, during a mental health crisis response at his residence in Palmdale, California. The incident occurred during a domestic disturbance call where Byram was experiencing a mental health crisis and had made statements about “suicide by cop.” The shooting has resulted in a federal civil rights lawsuit and raised questions about law enforcement response protocols for mental health emergencies.

Background

Everett Byram was born in Kennewick, Washington, in 1988 and later moved to Russellville, Arkansas, where he attended high school and Arkansas Tech University. He pursued a career in comedy beginning in 2015 after moving to Hollywood, becoming known as a meme-maker, online satirist, and comedic writer. His work appeared in publications including The Daily Dot and SOVO Magazine, and was covered by the New York Post and Rolling Stone. He maintained significant social media followings, including 70,000 followers on his personal Twitter account and managed an Instagram page with 259,000 followers.

At the time of his death, Byram lived in Palmdale with his wife Ursula and their one-year-old twins. He also had a 15-year-old child who lived out of state.

The Incident

On February 10, 2023, at approximately 10:00 PM, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call at 37529 Oxford Drive in Palmdale. Prior to their arrival, dispatchers informed the responding units that Byram had made “suicide by cop” statements and that the Mental Evaluation Team (MET) had been contacted and could respond within 30 minutes.

Upon arrival, deputies made contact with Ursula Byram, who informed them that her husband had not hurt anyone, no firearms were present in the residence, he was experiencing a mental health crisis, and she did not wish to press charges. Despite this information, Deputies Blake Runge, Cervantes, Lopez-Munoz, and Sergeant James entered the residence without consent and proceeded to the backyard.

The Fatal Encounter

In the backyard, deputies encountered Everett Byram wielding a sword, which he was swinging around while making statements including “kill me” and “just fucking shoot me.” The deputies positioned themselves with Deputy Lopez-Munoz armed with a 40mm less-lethal weapon and Deputy Cervantes providing lethal cover with his service pistol.

When Deputy Lopez-Munoz called out “40!” and discharged the less-lethal round, Deputy Runge simultaneously fired his service weapon, striking Byram in the head and killing him. Deputy Cervantes, who was assigned as lethal cover and positioned closer to Byram, did not discharge his weapon.

Post-Incident Actions

Following the shooting, Deputy Brenda Alcantara detained Ursula Byram, placing her in a patrol vehicle with the twins for approximately one hour before transporting her to the station, where she was held for additional hours.

Investigation and Legal Proceedings

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the incident and declined to file criminal charges against the involved deputies. The DA’s report concluded that the use of deadly force was justified under the circumstances.

In December 2023, Ursula Byram filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Los Angeles County, alleging excessive force and violations of constitutional rights. The case, Ursula Byram, S.B., N.B., and A.B. v. County of Los Angeles, is assigned to Judge Karen L. Stevenson with a trial date set for February 10, 2025.

The lawsuit challenges the deputies’ decision to enter the residence without consent, their failure to wait for the Mental Evaluation Team despite its availability, and the use of deadly force when less-lethal options were being deployed. The complaint also addresses the detention of Ursula Byram and her children following the incident.

Policy and Training Questions

The case has highlighted questions about law enforcement protocols for responding to mental health crises, particularly regarding the coordination between lethal and less-lethal force options and the utilization of specialized mental health response teams. The simultaneous deployment of less-lethal and lethal force, resulting in the fatal shooting while a less-lethal option was being used, has become a central issue in the civil litigation.