Police & jail misconduct
A federal jury found a Kern County sheriff's deputy used excessive, unreasonable and negligent force in the fatal 2020 shooting of unarmed Mickel Lewis Sr., awarding his family $30.5 million after the department's own internal review had cleared the deputy
Confidence: Alleged · 2 sourcesKern County · Sep 22, 2026
Subject of this story
Kern County Sheriff's Office
Jason Ayala, Deputy, Kern County Sheriff's Office
Also named
Oversight
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
What happened
Kern County Sheriff's Deputy Jason Ayala shot and killed unarmed 39-year-old Mickel Lewis Sr. on October 2, 2020 during what Lewis's family called an unwarranted traffic stop, striking him five times including twice in the back; a November 2020 KCSO internal review found the shooting 'within departmental policy.' On March 19, 2025, a federal jury in the Eastern District of California disagreed, finding Ayala used excessive and unreasonable force and was negligent, and awarded Lewis's family $30.5 million -- one of the largest police-shooting verdicts in California history. The Sheriff's Office did not return an after-hours request for comment.
Sources (2)
KGET.comThe jury on Wednesday found Deputy Jason Ayala 'used excessive and unreasonable force and was negligent' in the October 2020 shooting.
The Bakersfield CalifornianThe jury determined Deputy Jason Ayala used excessive and unreasonable force and that he was negligent in firing five shots and Lewis without warning, including two shots to the back.
Response
Kern County Sheriff's Office
No response by publication
Contacted — no response by publication.
Jason Ayala
Not yet contacted
Not yet contacted for this story.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.