A federal jury awarded more than $27 million in damages to an Adelanto man who now uses a wheelchair after being shot multiple times by a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy in 2021.
The jury reached a verdict on Monday and found that the deputy used excessive force and was negligent when he fired six shots at Steffon Todd Barber, 40, who was attempting to reverse his vehicle out of a narrow driveway.
At least one bullet struck Barber in the head, causing permanent brain damage, according to his attorneys and the federal civil complaint.
Dale K. Galipo, lead counsel in the case, said in a written statement that the verdict was fair compensation for Barber.
“As a result of the shooting, Mr. Barber suffered serious physical, mental, and emotional injuries,” he wrote.
In an email response to The Times, Jenny Smith, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department, said that although the jury in the civil case reached a different conclusion, an independent investigation by the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office found the shooting was legally justified. She noted that a jury had convicted Barber of assault with a deadly weapon.
Barber was sentenced to more than 10 years in state prison on June 20.
“This case reflects the complex and often difficult circumstances deputies face when responding to rapidly evolving incidents,” Smith wrote. “The Sheriff’s Department remains committed to continuous evaluations of training and tactics to uphold public trust and constitutional standards and we remain dedicated to transparency, accountability, and protecting the rights of the communities we serve.”
The shooting took place after 11 p.m. on April 27, 2021, in the 1200 block of White Avenue in the city of Adelanto after police received a call related to a tenant dispute.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Alfred, who was near the area, responded to the call that night and spoke to a man and his wife who said they had been involved in a confrontation with their tenant, Barber, according to the district attorney’s report of the shooting.
After speaking to the couple, the deputy made his way up a narrow, poorly lighted driveway that was 96 feet long and enclosed by fencing and a residential wall, according to the report.
“As Deputy Alfred walked toward Barber, he gave verbal commands [for him] to show his hands and walk toward him,” the report read.
Alfred told investigators that he saw Barber walk over to his vehicle, a black 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer, and reach into the driver’s seat of the vehicle, which was idling.
“Deputy Alfred told Barber: ‘You know what, sir, let me see your hands and step away from the vehicle,’” the report read. “Barber responded to the effect of: ‘F— you.’”
Alfred told investigators he continued to order Barber to show his hands and reported what was happening back to a police dispatcher, prompting more officers to respond.
But before officers arrived, Alfred said Barber got inside the Trailblazer and closed the driver’s side door. Shortly after, he saw the reverse lights come on and, fearing for his life, fired six rounds as the vehicle was reversing, according to the report.
At least one witness told investigators that he saw the Trailblazer moving in reverse toward the deputy before the shooting happened.
The report showed that Barber was struck in the head and that doctors determined he had suffered a fractured skull. The report said toxicology results showed that Barber also had amphetamines and other drugs in his system.
San Bernardino County district attorney investigators determined that the deputy’s use of deadly force was necessary that night, given the narrow driveway and lack of escape options.
“Deputy Alfred reasonably believed he would most assuredly be seriously injured or killed,” the report read. “Given those circumstances the decision by Deputy Alfred to use deadly force was justified.”
Barber’s legal team, including attorneys Rodney S. Diggs, Renee V. Masongsong and James A. Bryant II, argued that the deputy failed to announce himself as a police officer or give Barber a verbal warning before the shooting.
They said the deputy had a 15-foot opening in the fence just a few feet away where he could have “repositioned himself rather than shooting.”
Court records show the jury awarded Barber $7.25 million for past pain and suffering, $18.25 million for future pain and suffering, and $1.85 million for future economic damages.
“This verdict is a powerful affirmation that constitutional rights do not stop at the end of a driveway,” Diggs said in the written statement.
“The jury carefully weighed the evidence and held law enforcement accountable for a shooting that never should have happened. While no amount of money can restore Mr. Barber’s health or mobility, today’s verdict provides him with dignity, security, and a measure of justice.”
