"We regret to inform you that you son was killed as a result of stupidity..."
Posted on 07/18/2026 11:58:38 AM PDT by BenLurkin
The widow of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy killed in last year’s deadly grenade explosion has filed a lawsuit against the county, the Sheriff’s Department and several officials, alleging the tragedy was the result of inadequate training, unsafe practices and leadership failures.
The complaint, filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court by Nancy Lemus on behalf of herself, the estate of Deputy Victor Lemus and the couple’s two young daughters, names the County of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff Robert Luna, Commander Thomas Giandomenico and others as defendants.
Victor Lemus was one of three members of the Sheriff’s Department’s Arson and Explosives Detail killed July 18, 2025, when a grenade exploded during what authorities have described as a training-related incident at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center in East Los Angeles.
The lawsuit alleges Lemus was assigned to the Bomb Squad in June 2024 but was not scheduled to attend the FBI’s Hazardous Device School until as long as two years later. While awaiting formal training, the complaint says he should not have been placed in the immediate presence of live explosive devices.
According to the lawsuit, two fellow deputies incorrectly concluded that a grenade recovered in Santa Monica was inert, transported it in personal vehicles instead of a bomb truck, kept it overnight at a private residence and later brought it onto the grounds of the training center despite policies prohibiting live explosives there.
The complaint alleges the deputies then used the live grenade as a training demonstration for Lemus before it exploded, killing all three deputies.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
“Pull the pin and throw it as far as you can”
Pin thrown about 15 feet.
A negative example if ever there was one.
I am not a LEO nor have I ever wanted to be but since when do deputies determine the status of an explosive? What is the role of the bomb squad? Who is in charge of these cops?
As far as I know the county does not dispute any of these facts.
Which means she does have a case.
Lucky for her he was County and not City.
Animal House level goofiness, and what training were they going to do with it, they didn’t know anything about it’s history or possible alterations, (it seems they didn’t know anything at all related to it other than it was cool to handle it) so that would limit what use it would be in training.
Had these guys even handled grenades before, as in the Army or Marines?
Army Basic used to have privates throw two (2) grenades in training at the grenade range. The units running rifle and grenade training were assigned this training on a rotating basis, it wasn’t their ordinary job, just part of their extra duties being on active duty.
The NCO who supervised the particular berm I was at was possibly the most frightened individual I’ve ever seen. He was probably a truck driver or cook or whatever. LOL. He started to make me nervous.
One thing I will say, is they are LOUD, louder than anything that size has any right to be. It seemed to me they would total a small house.
Holy crap. If those allegations are factual, that is some absolute incompetence by the police department bomb squad for sure!
"We regret to inform you that you son was killed as a result of stupidity..."
Wonder how those cops determined that the grenade was “inert”?
In 1977, I was stationed in Okinawa and I was assigned to take a Warrant officer’s place as a Battalion S-4 (logistics officer). While was going through the details of the job, we opened the top drawer of his desk and a Vietcong stick grenade rolled to the front.
I was startled but he said it was inert, a paperweight and completely safe and we kept on with our handoff.
Some weeks later I settled into my job and decided to see for myself that the grenade was disarmed so I eased the cork out of the handle and was stunned to see that it was still connected to its string in the handle.
I called EOD and they took it to the range and they remotely detonated it.
So much for inert!
Hahaha! "I guess I should have worn my brown pants today!"
The big question was whether that grenade was built for throwing (4 second fuze) or booby traps (no delay). Never could tell by their markings.
EOD figured that using C-4 and an electric blasting cap and setting it off remotely would take guesswork out of it.
When I was on the grenade range the Instructor said very clearly “Once you pull the pin Mr Hand Grenade ain’t your friend no more.”
L
"OF COURSE I THREW YOU DOWN! I DIDN'T WANT TO FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK!"
Appears to be an accident. One would think that people would be extremely cautious around grenades, but my experiences with bored riverboat sailors and concussion grenades in Nam tell a different tale.
Three shalt thou count, and the number of the counting shall be three.
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