Dead Marine's Daughters Unlawfully Held, Isolated After Shooting, Family Alleges

After a sheriff's deputy shot and killed their unarmed father as they watched, the two young daughters of Marine Sgt. Manuel Loggins were falsely imprisoned and isolated by police for 13 hours before they were released to their family, according to a claim filed by survivors of the dead Marine.

The family also alleges in their claim that Loggins was lawfully sitting in his car and making no threatening movements when Deputy Darren Sandberg shot him to death on Feb. 7. 

Allegations in the claim differ substantially from the narrative  after Deputy Darren Sandberg shot Loggins in the parking lot of San Clemente High School at about 5 a.m. after he crashed into a gate.

(See the full text of the claim in the PDF attached to this article.)

"That's classic false imprisonment," said . "They were intentionally secreted away."

Dunn said the girls were told only their father was at the hospital, Dunn said, though OC Fire Authority spokesman Marc Stone told Patch shortly after the shooting that Loggins died almost immediately.

Also outlined in the claim was that Loggins was shot multiple times -- "at least two, maybe three," Dunn said.

The claim was filed naming Sandberg and the Orange County Sheriff's Department on behalf of Loggins' wife, Phoebe Loggins, four children identified by initials, and the estate of Manuel Loggins.

"At no time ... did Sgt. Manuel Loggins Jr. pose any reasonable threat of violence to the involved deputy, nor did he do anything to justify the use of deadly force against him," the claim states.

The claim reads that Loggins made, "no aggressive movements, no furtive gestures and no physical movements which would suggest to any reasonable deputy that he was armed with any kind of weapon, or had the will, or ability to inflict substantial bodily harm against any individual."

The claim cites faulty actions, faulty training, faulty hiring, faulty supervision that led to the shooting, and claims a host of other damages, such as assault, violation of civil rights, wrongful death, false imprisonment and others.

The claim, which Dunn said he sent out to the department today, is the first step in civil litigation. The family in the document claims damages in excess of $10,000 "within the unlimited jurisdiction of the California Superior Court."