Family of Rob Adams v. City of San Bernardino Settles Civil Lawsuit for $4 Million

Concord, CA -- On Friday, March 29th, attorneys Bradley Gage, Ben Crump and 3D Forensic Founder, CEO and Lead Forensic Expert Jason C. Fries announced the official settlement of $4 million in the civil litigation suit against the City of San Bernardino involving the fatal shooting of Rob Adams. This case settlement closes one of the highest-profile officer-involved shootings in recent history to draw national attention to police practices.

3D Forensic, Inc. and Founder, CEO and Lead Forensic Expert Jason C. Fries were retained to provide expert human factors analysis and a forensic use-of-force reconstruction by the plaintiff’s side. After analyzing the video evidence and creating a 3D reconstruction of this incident, the firm distilled and contributed several significant conclusions.

In July of 2022, 23-year-old Rob Adams was in the parking lot of a gambling business in possession of a handgun when two San Bernardino police officers approached him from an unmarked vehicle. It is unclear whether they announced themselves as police when exiting their vehicle but pursued Mr. Adams with firearms drawn while Adams had turned to run away. By the end of this pursuit, Officer Michael Yeun had fired seven shots at Mr. Adams though he never faced him directly or pointed his weapon at the officer.

Several forensic conclusions contributed to both sides' decision to settle on this seven-figure settlement:

1. Mr. Adams never pointed his weapon at either officer or any bystanders.
2. All shots were fired after Mr. Adams had thrown his weapon away in the opposite direction of the officers.
3. Though officers stated that Mr. Adams made eye contact with Officer Yeun, our analysis proved that Mr. Adams never looked at either officer, but rather had looked toward his nearby associate as he fled.
4. A half-second pause between the first and second (fatal) shot fired by Officer Yeun showed he had taken time to evaluate a possibility of threat from Mr. Adams, at which time Mr. Adams was unarmed and falling away from the officers.

3D Forensic detailed this analysis in a reconstruction animation and report provided to Mr. Gage prior to this case’s mediation session, providing forensic support for Mr. Gage’s team as they negotiated this historic settlement. The firm commends Brad Gage Law APC as well as Ben Crump Law PLLC for their efforts to obtain justice for the Adams family.

3D Forensic, Inc. is a forensic technology firm providing forensic analysis, expert witness testimony and courtroom animation. We work with all legal teams to capture pertinent data, provide unbiased analysis, and visualize the facts. Founded in 2012, the firm serves attorneys nationwide from its office at 5013 Forni Dr, Suite C, Concord, CA 94520.