The father and a brother of an armed man who was fatally shot by Long Beach Police Department officers while at a park in the city’s Cambodia Town area in 2024 sued the city Thursday, contending the shooting was unnecessary and that the decedent’s sibling suffered emotional distress from witnessing what happened.

Donald Washington, 46, was killed during an April 17, 2024, confrontation with officers at MacArthur Park.

Police had been called to the park about a man with a gun, and when they arrived, officers immediately drew their weapons and demanded Washington take his hands out of his pockets, according to body camera video.

As Washington slowly backs away from them and repeatedly asks why, the officers also begin telling him to “drop the gun” or risk getting shot, the video shows.

When Washington takes the gun out of his jacket pocket, one of the officers fires twice, knocking Washington to the ground.

As Washington lies on the ground on his back, he’s still holding the gun, and an officer yells, “Let go,” and fires again when Washington begins raising the gun.

Washington’s arm then goes limp and someone off-screen yells, “Hey, man, he’s down, quit it.”

In the Long Beach Superior Court lawsuit, Washington’s father, Donald Washington Sr., and brother, Andre Simmons, contend that two officers “hastily” drew their weapons as they got out of their car and confronted Washington.

The lawsuit says Washington was obeying the officers by laying down his gun. Washington, apparently confused by what the suit alleges were conflicting commands from the officers, made a shrugging gesture with his left hand before the officers fired, the suit further states.

“(Washington) never pointed a gun toward the officers or anyone else prior to being shot,” according to the suit, which alleges that both officers “failed to re-evaluate the threat after each shot fired at (Washington), constituting excessive force and negligence.”

Washington’s brother saw the shooting and also witnessed an alleged delay in getting his sibling medical aid, causing Simmons severe emotional distress, the suit states.

In addition to negligent infliction of emotional distress, the suit alleges civil rights violation, battery, wrongful death/negligence and negligent supervision and training. The plaintiffs seek unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

City News Service and staff writer Jeremiah Dobruck contributed to this report.