Civil trial jury finds LAPD officer was not negligent in deadly Burlington store shooting

NBC Los Angeles reports that a civil jury found LAPD Officer William Doresy Jones Jr. was not negligent in the December 2021 shooting death of 14-year-old Valentina Peralta inside a North Hollywood Burlington store, where a stray bullet ricocheted off the floor and struck her in a changing room as she hid with her mother during an officer response to an armed assault. The article is bylined to Jonathan Lloyd and includes substantive reporting: named sources (the officer, family attorney Haytham Faraj, AG Rob Bonta), body-camera video evidence, 911 call documentation, and testimony about the officer's training and decision-making. Corroborating coverage from FOX 11, Los Angeles Times, and ABC7 confirms the jury verdict and adds context that the officer "charged ahead of his colleagues" to confront the suspect, a detail bearing on threat assessment; the LA Times reporting also notes the trial featured use-of-force experts and multiple officer witnesses. A critical tension emerges: while a criminal investigation found insufficient evidence to prosecute and a civil jury ruled no negligence, the LAPD Police Commission itself determined in 2022 that the officer violated department policy on the second and third shots and "inaccurately assessed" the threat—a significant internal accountability finding that the jury verdict does not overturn. Watch for potential city policy changes the AG's office recommended regarding communication in rapid-deployment scenarios, and monitor whether the Peralta family pursues further legal remedies or appeals.