Lawrence "Larry" Orso
Lawrence David Orso was a 15-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department who worked in the Mid-City and Northeastern divisions and lived in Murrieta. He died on September 21, 2024, outside the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in Riverside County, where he had been held and was released less than two hours before. His family's federal wrongful death suit says he wore a portable heart monitor prescribed by his cardiologist, and that jail staff ignored his chest pains and visible medical distress and did not have jail medical staff clear him before release. SDPD said he died after a medical emergency, and the sheriff's department said there was no evidence of foul play while the investigation continues.
Cause of death, as reported: Died from neglect by staff (disputed). His family's federal wrongful death lawsuit says jail staff ignored his chest pains and visible medical distress and did not have him cleared by jail medical staff before release, while the sheriff's department and SDPD attribute his death to a medical emergency with no evidence of foul play and the investigation is ongoing.
Reported by: Riverside County Sheriff's Department (the agency that held him); San Diego Police Department; his family's federal wrongful death lawsuit against Riverside County (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against Riverside County alleging jail staff ignored his chest pains and medical distress before his release, and no settlement or award has been reported.