The parents of a man killed last summer by a homeowner after the decedent mistakenly strayed into a Long Beach residence are suing the alleged shooter along with Uber, which they say is liable because one of its drivers ordered him out of a car knowing he was impaired.
Long Beach residents David and Lynn Anderson, the father and mother of Ryan Anderson, filed the negligence suit Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court against Uber Technologies; Uber driver Festus Ekuma Okoh of Buena Park; and the homeowners, John Richard Reynolds and Lou Ann Reynolds.
‘The suit does not state the relationship between the Reynolds. The complaint seeks unspecified damages.
An Uber representative did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment. The Reynolds could not be reached.
According to the complaint, 29-year-old Ryan Anderson used the Uber app on Aug. 10 to request a driver to pick him up and take him home. Okoh knew Anderson was impaired because he was unsteady in his walk, appeared incoherent and his speech was slurred, the suit states.
Uber touts itself as an organization that provides transportation for inebriated passengers, the suit states.
Okoh picked Anderson up, but before reaching his passenger’s home the driver ejected him, the suit states. Okoh did so despite having no reason to fear Anderson would harm him if he stayed in the car, the suit states.
Okoh knew he was leaving Anderson in a dangerous area where it was not safe to walk after dark and also aware that his passenger could not find his way home given his intoxication, according to the lawsuit.
Anderson eventually walked into the Reynolds home at East 3rd Street and Gladys Avenue, where he began arguing with John Reynolds, the suit states. John Reynolds got a gun in an apparent attempt to scare Anderson into leaving, the suit states.
John and Lou Ann Reynolds knew that Anderson was not a threat to them, the suit states. John Reynolds shot and killed Anderson accidentally, according to the lawsuit.
