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The widow of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Victor Lemus filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, alleging negligence after her husband was killed in an accidental grenade discharge. Victor Lemus died on July 18, 2025, along with deputies Joshua Kelley-Eklund and William Osborn.
According to NBC Los Angeles, the lawsuit by Lemus’ widow alleges that Kelley-Eklund and Osborn had collected two hand grenades on July 17, 2025. The two deputies used an “old X-ray machine” to scan the grenades, which led them to believe that the explosives were inert. However, that was not the case.
After scanning the explosive, one of the deputies brought the grenade back home. The following day, the deputy brought the grenade to the training facility, where explosives were banned. The blast took place during a training exercise which involved Victor Lemus, Joshua Kelley-Eklund and William Osborn. It is unclear which deputy pulled the grenade’s pin, but it led to all three deputies dying.
When the incident occurred at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center in East Los Angeles, authorities categorized it as a “training-related incident,” and no individual was charged. Almost one year after the incident, Nancy Lemus filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department on July 13, 2026.
Before filing the lawsuit, Lemus’ widow had also submitted a government tort claim against Los Angeles County in March 2026, which is a required legal step before suing a public entity in California.
Allegations Over Photos Taken After the Explosion
“The explosion made plaintiff Nancy Lemus a widow and her children, Victoria and Emily, fatherless,” the lawsuit said. It has also been alleged that following the incident, a commander present took pictures of Lemus’ body. The lawsuit claims this violated the “respect owed to the dead and the privacy of the bereaved by collecting trophies in the form of death images.”
“The failure to adequately train, supervise, and discipline personnel regarding the taking of such photographs is a complete dereliction of duty, and can be directly attributed to Sheriff Luna and other members of his command staff,” the lawsuit alleges. The plaintiffs have since have argued that Sheriff Robert Luna should have taken stricter actions and even confiscated the commander’s phone.
What Sheriff Robert Luna Said After the Incident
Sheriff Luna released a statement on the matter following the incident. “Our fallen detectives exemplified the very best of this department and one year later we continue to mourn their loss, honor their service, and support the families they left behind,” Luna said.
“Since the tragic incident, the department is implementing several measures to further strengthen operational safety, including standardizing policies and procedures to ensure greater organizational consistency, introducing new equipment, and refining supervisory response protocols based on the nature of each incident.”
