Ryan Twyman Video

Ryan Twyman, 24, was shot and killed by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies on June 6, 2019, in a parking lot in Willowbrook. Deputies fired 34 rounds into his vehicle after he allegedly began backing away from them. No weapons were found in the car.

Deputy Andrew Lyons was later convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and assault under color of authority—the first conviction of a Los Angeles County law enforcement officer in a shooting in approximately two decades. The county settled a wrongful death lawsuit with Twyman’s family for $3.9 million.

The Incident

On the evening of June 6, 2019, Deputies Andrew Lyons and Christopher Muse responded to an apartment complex parking lot near East 132nd Street and South San Pedro Street in Willowbrook. They were seeking Twyman, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of his Kia Forte.

The deputies approached the vehicle. When Deputy Muse opened the rear door, Twyman put the car in reverse. The open door struck Muse as the car moved. Both deputies opened fire.

According to prosecutors, Lyons then retrieved a semiautomatic rifle from the patrol vehicle and continued firing at Twyman’s car after it had already come to a stop. The deputies discharged a total of 34 rounds. Twyman was killed. A passenger in the vehicle, Daimeon Leffall, was not injured.

No weapons were found in Twyman’s car. The shooting sparked days of protests and drew national attention.

Officers Involved

Deputy Andrew Lyons was terminated by the Sheriff’s Department in January 2020. He was formally charged by the District Attorney’s Office in March 2022 with one felony count of voluntary manslaughter and two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

On January 12, 2024, Lyons pleaded no contest to two assault charges: assault with a semiautomatic firearm and assault under color of authority. The manslaughter charge was dropped as part of the plea agreement. He was sentenced to 30 days in county jail and two years of formal probation. As a condition of his sentence, Lyons is permanently barred from owning firearms and must surrender his Peace Officer Standards and Training certificate.

Deputy Christopher Muse was struck by the car door during the incident. He was suspended for 30 days. No criminal charges were filed against him.

Criminal Proceedings

The conviction marked the first time in approximately two decades that a Los Angeles County law enforcement officer was convicted in connection with an on-duty shooting, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

District Attorney George Gascón announced the conviction, stating that the case demonstrated that officers who use excessive force will be held accountable.

Civil Settlement

Twyman’s family, including his three minor sons, his parents, and passenger Daimeon Leffall, filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit alleging civil rights violations, battery, and negligence. The lawsuit alleged that the deputies violated a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department policy that prohibits the use of deadly force against individuals in vehicles.

In November 2020, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $3.9 million settlement. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, in a statement to the board, called the settlement “a sobering reminder of the family’s and community’s needs for justice, healing and compassion.”

The family was represented by The Cochran Firm.

Background

Ryan Twyman was 24 years old at the time of his death. He was a father of three children.