The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has released the names of the two deputies involved in the shooting death of 15-year-old Ryan Gainer.
The department says deputies Wyatt Eisenbrey and Brandon Clancy were the first to arrive at Gainer's home in Apple Valley on March 9.
Gainer, who was on the autism spectrum, began breaking things around his family’s house after being told he had to do chores. A family member called 9-1-1.
When Eisenbrey and Clancy arrived, Gainer allegedly charged one of them with a garden hoe and a frying pan before he was shot.
A department spokesperson wouldn’t name the deputy who shot Gainer.
DeWitt Lacy represents Gainer’s family. He says the Department didn’t share the names of the deputies with the family before going public and has tried to give the impression:
"That Ryan was a horrible Black monster that needed to be killed and put down," Lacy said in a phone interview.
He was referring to a comment by Sheriff Shannon Dicus, who said large and physically fit teenagers like Gainer can be dangerous.
The department says it can’t comment further due to pending litigation.
