'RHOC' Alum Lydia McLaughlin To Sue Police After 'Disturbing' Footage Of Brother's Death Was Released

Yahoo

09-05-2025

"Real Housewives of Orange County" alum Lydia McLaughlin and her family are planning to sue the law enforcement officer who was involved in her brother's death in April 2025.
In a new statement, Lydia McLaughlin, who previously described the loss of her brother, Geoffrey Shyam Stirling, 45, as "devastating," said her family is even more "disturbed" by the situation after viewing the police officer's body camera footage.
In the initial reports, "RHOC" fans learned McLaughlin's brother was shot and killed by Newport Beach police after he was stopped while riding his motorcycle down the Pacific Coast Highway.
Sources close to the situation described Stirling's behavior as "uncooperative," which caused the shooting.
In the body camera footage released, the 45-year-old went back and forth with a police officer after he was stopped for a traffic violation.
After refusing the officer's commands to sit on the curb, the two got into a physical altercation after the officer believed Stirling was reaching for something in his pocket.
Law enforcement said that during the scuffle, Stirling grabbed their taser, prompting them to fire six shots, ultimately killing him.
The Newport Beach Police Department released a statement following the shooting and shared more details about the incident with the public.
"Shortly after being stopped, Stirling became uncooperative and assaulted the officer," the statement, which was shared on Instagram, read. "During the ensuing violent altercation, Stirling managed to remove the department-issued taser from the officer's duty belt and attempted to deploy it multiple times against the officer. At that point, an officer-involved shooting occurred."
Additional officers later arrived on the scene and attempted to render aid to Stirling before he was transported to the hospital, where he later passed away.
McLaughlin, who appeared on Bravo's "RHOC" for two seasons, said she and her family were "devastated by the loss" of their family member. She went on to thank those closest to her, including local community members, for their "outpouring of love."
In a statement shared with The US Sun, McLaughlin and her family revealed their plans to file a lawsuit against the officer involved in Stirling's shooting after the "disturbing" body camera footage was released.
'The videos have raised serious concerns and many questions about the actions of that police officer. Of grave and specific concern is that the videos appear to show Geoff moving away from the officer at the time he was shot six times," the statement read.
'The family, through their Attorneys, plan to file a lawsuit in Federal Court to obtain full answers and seek accountability," it continued.
McLaughlin and her family also claimed in the statement that Stirling was "unarmed" and "posed no deadly threat to the officer," despite the claim that he grabbed an officer's taser.
"The family remains heartbroken and devastated that Geoff was taken from them in what appears to be an unjustified use of lethal force," the statement read, adding, "Equally tragic is that there may have been other options and tactics available to the officer that he failed to utilize based on his training."
On Instagram, McLaughlin honored her brother with a moving collection of photos, sharing that her faith in God has been a source of strength during this difficult time.
"Yesterday, we laid my brother to rest. Just six months ago, we stood in this same place, grieving the loss of my mom," she wrote in the caption. "My heart is broken, and the shock still hasn't settled. But even in the sorrow, I cling to what I know is true: God is good. He is in control. I am not."
She continued, "My brother is now with my mom, and I hold onto the promise that one day, we'll all be reunited. Until then, I will miss them every single day."
In a separate Instagram post, McLaughlin revealed she'd been working on learning to process grief after the loss of her mother.
The reality star went on to say that attending a group called "Grief Share" has helped her "healing" journey.
She added, "Grief can make you better or bitter. I am putting in my whole heart to turn my sorrow into thanksgiving, for having the privilege to have such a beautiful mom. She will always be my hero, and my favorite."