LA County Settles Shooting of Fire Captain in Firehouse for $2.6 Million

Posted by: Curt Varone September 27, 2023 0

Los Angeles County has agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a fire captain who was shot by a firefighter in 2021. Captain Arnoldo V. Sandoval filed suit last year against the county and the estate of the shooter, Firefighter Jonathan Patrick Tatone.

Captain Sandoval suffered serious injuries in the incident that occurred at Station 81 on June 1, 2021 following shift change. Besides wounding Captain Sandoval, Tatone shot and killed Firefighter Cory Carlon.

Tatone, 45, and Carlon, 44, were both engineers on different shifts at Station 81 and apparently had a longstanding dispute. Tatone departed the station following shift change, later returning to fatally shoot Carlon and wound Captain Sandoval. Tatone then returned home where he set his house on fire and committed suicide.

Captain Sandoval’s suit accused of county of being aware of Tatone’s “longstanding threatening, bullying, combative, angry, and unstable behavior,” but failing to remove him from the department. According to Fox11, the settlement calls for a payment of $2.575 million to Captain Sandoval. Carlon’s family also filed suit against the county and Tatone’s estate.

More on the story.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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