Over the last few months, there has been a spotlight on police use of force and police misconduct. While this has not been a new theme in the US, there has been more focus on this issue since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Los Angeles in the surrounding areas has continually been in the news concerning allegations of injuries caused by police officers. Now, a new class-action lawsuit is alleging violent abuse of power by the LAPD during the most recent protests.
What Does This Class Action Lawsuit Do
In early June, a lawsuit was filed by the Los Angeles chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Black Lives Matter, and Los Angeles Community Action Network. The lawsuit alleges that the Los Angeles Police Department exercised violent abuses of power during the recent protests throughout the city. The lawsuit was later amended to provide a more complete breakdown of arrests made during the protest period, including more than 3,000 arrests over the course of several days. The lawsuit claims that the constitutional rights of the demonstrators were violated and that many sustained injuries due to the actions of LAPD officers.
Longtime civil rights attorney Carol Sobel says that “We wanted to show the scope of what happened over all of these days and the range of injuries.” Attorney Sobel took particular aim at the use of non-lethal weapons, saying, “What’s extraordinary about this is how many people got shot in the upper torso or the head, because those are potentially deadly strikes.”
In addition to allegations of violence used by law enforcement on protesters, the updated lawsuit discusses how the arrests of demonstrators unnecessarily exposed them to COVID-19 after being crammed on buses for hours at a time. The lawsuit takes aim at LAPD police chief Michel Moore and accuses him of condoning these arrests while knowing the risks of coronavirus and for also ordering the use of force that could severely wound demonstrators.
The LAPD is facing mounting litigation over their response to protests that arose after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other killings of black men and women in police use of force situations.
We Offer A Free Consultation Of Your Case
If you or somebody you love has been harmed due to the careless or negligent actions of a police officer or due to the excessive use of force, contact Los Angeles police misconduct attorneys at JML Law today. We pledge to conduct a full investigation into your case and do whatever it takes to secure the compensation you are entitled to. Our goal is to recover the following compensation on your behalf:
- Any medical bills caused by the incident
- Lost wages if you cannot work while recovering
- Pain and suffering damages
- Loss of personal enjoyment damages
- Possible punitive damages against the LAPD
If you need a Los Angeles police misconduct attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation of your case by clicking here or calling us at 818-610-8800.
