A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy will spend 30 days in jail and two years on probation for the 2019 fatal shooting of an unarmed Black man in the Willowbrook area.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, it’s the first conviction in an officer-involved shooting in 20 years in L.A. County.
Andrew Lyons, 37, was charged in the June 6, 2019, killing of 24-year-old Ryan Twyman.
On that day, Lyons and another deputy responded to an apartment complex in Willowbrook and approached a parked vehicle where Twyman was sitting. He had been named in a felony warrant for alleged weapons violations and the white Kia sedan he was in matched a description provided by detectives, officials said at the time.
During that deadly encounter, Twyman put the car in reverse and both deputies opened fire before the vehicle came to a stop nearby. After the vehicle stopped moving, Lyons retrieved his his semiautomatic assault rifle and shot into the car, killing Twyman, who was unarmed. His passenger was uninjured.
Sheriff’s officials said the deputies fired some 34 rounds during the shooting and a coroner’s autopsy later revealed Twyman had been shot six times, with half of his wounds to the back.
Twyman’s family eventually filed a claim for damages against the county, alleging Twyman and his passenger “made no aggressive movements, furtive gestures or physical movements” which would have suggested either of them was armed with any kind of weapon.
The Sheriff’s Department later alleged that Twyman, a father of three, had attempted to use his car as a “weapon.”
Video of the incident was released, which led to widespread outrage, intense scrutiny and calls for justice.
Lyons was eventually terminated by the Sheriff’s Department, but wasn’t formally charged in the case until March 2022.
Originally facing charges for manslaughter, he ultimately ended up pleading no contest to one felony count of assault with a semi-automatic firearm and one count of assault under the color of authority.
The judge assigned to the case accepted the terms of the plea and Lyons received the maximum allowable sentence under the terms: two years of formal probation.
As a condition of his probation, he’ll be required to serve 30 days in county jail, pay an undisclosed amount of fees and fines, and surrender his Peace Officer’s Standards and Training certificate.
In a news release issued Friday afternoon, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said the conviction showed that justice had been served and reflected his office’s commitment to ensuring all individuals, regardless of their position, are “held accountable for their actions.”
“This conviction sends a strong message that no one is above the law,” Gascón said. “Our aim is not to undermine the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers who serve our communities. However, accountability is paramount to maintaining public trust and ensuring that the principles of justice are upheld.”
Twyman’s mother spoke to a crowd of gathered media members Friday following news of Lyons’ conviction. A reporter for KTLA said she appeared at peace with the court’s decision.
Attorneys representing Lyons issued a statement to media in which they claimed their client was the victim of political persecution by Gascón and the D.A.’s Office, alleging that Lyons took the plea deal reluctantly because he believed it was in the best interest of his family.
“This is a case based in politics, not facts. The facts in this case demonstrate that Mr. Lyons did not kill Mr. Twyman. The dismissal of the voluntary manslaughter charge by the District Attorney’s office underscores this truth,” the statement reads in part.
The statement goes on to accuse Gascón of “capitalizing on the loss of a bereaved family” to wreck the career of Lyons, who they claim was a dedicated law enforcement officer, in hopes of prolonging and advancing his political agenda.
L.A. County eventually settled a wrongful death lawsuit by Twyman’s family for $3.9 million, the Los Angeles Times reported.
