Legal claims allege false automated license plate reader alert led to San Diego police shooting

A passenger sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder and was handcuffed in a hospital bed following a police encounter triggered by an incorrect database alert, prompting legal demands for compensation and scrutiny over surveillance technology.

• •Jorge Luis Soto filed a legal tort claim alleging Officer Ricardo Zambrano violated department policy and civil rights by shooting him without cause.
• •The police response was triggered by an automated license plate reader alert indicating the vehicle was stolen, less than five minutes before the shooting.
• •Vehicle owner Travis Nelson and the occupants stated the Honda Accord was not stolen and was being driven with permission.
• •The stolen vehicle call originated from the FBI's National Crime Information Center database according to police statements.
• •Surveillance video shows the occupants with their hands raised inside the car shortly before a single shot was fired through the passenger window.
• •Officer Zambrano did not have his body camera activated at the time of the incident.
• •Soto suffered a gunshot wound to his left shoulder, was taken to the hospital, and was handcuffed to a bed for 10 hours.
• •Neither Soto nor driver Angel Valencia were arrested or charged with a crime.
• •Travis Nelson is seeking the return of his vehicle and compensation for damage and biological contamination.
• •San Diego police policy states that firearms are generally ineffective in stopping moving vehicles and prohibits shooting unless there is an immediate threat of death or serious physical harm.