Police were doing a warrant sweep in an area where many homeless people sleep. They woke up my client to check for warrants. Incident was caught on in car video, low quality. Officer claimed plaintiff spit at him. Officer punched plaintiff in the head, a glancing blow, no physical damages. Internal investigation found force excessive and officer received one day suspension.
Jail deputies assaulted deceased causing bi-lateral jaw fracture. Plaintiff died 7 days later of cardiac arrest. Expert could not relate death to the assault.
Vasquez approaches Sgt. Faris inquiring why he’s got a friend kneeling on the sidewalk with others. Faris does not answer, tells him to go home. Vasquez is at home, he told Faris. Faris became angry and attacked Vasquez, knocking him to the sidewalk and battering him with a baton. Contreras hears the screaming and walked up yelling at Faris to stop hitting his cousin when Hines came from behind and smashed Contreras with a baton, fracturing his elbow, knocked him down and admitted 17 more blows justified by the claim Contreras was non compliant with verbal orders.
Damages were a night in jail and subjected to false accusations and verbal abuses. Case tried in 2010 with three more plaintiffs who had been beaten up by officers. Defense verdict, new trial motion as to father and daughter granted 5 years (no typo) later. Incident took place 6/11/04 in Watts, South Central LA. Def Bright died in the meantime. Young and a lying K-9 officer (Stambaugh) who attempted to demonize the plaintiffs was caught by a video clip that had him in a place he said he wasn’t.
Three plaintiffs brought consolidated cases against a Lowell detective and the City of Lowell. In 2012, informants planted drugs in the plaintiffs’ cars. Plaintiffs were falsely charged with trafficking in cocaine; charges pended for over 1 year, over 6 months, and over 5 months (w/ 3.5 months in custody). They faced mandatory minimums of 3, 2, and 8 years. All charges were dismissed due to revelation of the informants’ misconduct. The detective knew his informants were not trustworthy.
In custody death due to alleged positional asphyxia resulting from several officers dog-piling on top of a prone suspect.
Plaintiff, Gerald Wilcox, 43, was arrested in his home in a quiet Detroit suburb by two Detroit Police Dep’t. officers looking for a Gerald Wilcox in his 20s who robbed a Family Dollar store in Detroit the previous day. The warrantless arrest, without consent or exigent circumstances, occurred in front of Wilcox’s wife and teenge son. Wilcox spent 15 days in the county jail before the Officer-in-Charge admitted that he learned the night of the arrest that the plaintiff was the wrong person. Charges were dismissed 6 weeks after the arrest when an eyewitness told the prosecutor that Mr.
Jail deputies assaulted deceased causing bi-lateral jaw fracture. Plaintiff died 7 days later of cardiac arrest. Expert could not relate death to the assault.
Plaintiffs were unlawfully stopped by Defendant Sgt. James Lee and Officer Sangwoo Lee. Defendants falsely stated that Plaintiffs' headlamps were not operative, but it was broad daylight. Defendants arrested Plaintiff Arion Anthony alleging that he possessed a gravity knife, but it was a common folding knife.
Plaintiff Arion Anthony received $26,500 for 12 hours in custody pre-arraignment. Plaintiff Karry Calderon received $1,000 for 1 hour roadside detention.
39 y.o. cocaine-intoxicated man, in psychiatric distress and combative with paramedics and police, died from officers’ multiple tasing, blunt force, and compression asphyxia; survived by parents.