In a landmark decision, a jury has awarded $3.75 mn in damages to a protester who was struck by hard-foam projectiles fired by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) during the 2020 demonstrations. The verdict comes as a sharp rebuke to the department for its handling of protests and its use of less-lethal weapons.
The ruling, delivered on August 23, determined that the LAPD was negligent when its officers deployed the so-called less-lethal devices against Asim Jamal Shakir Jr. during the protests that erupted in the aftermath of George Floyd's killing by police in Minneapolis. The incident gained national attention and fueled discussions about police tactics and the treatment of protesters.
Shakir, who was actively filming a tense confrontation between protesters and law enforcement, spotted his own uncle, LAPD officer Eric Anderson, among the officers in the formation. Witnesses claim that Shakir engaged in a verbal confrontation with his uncle, accusing law enforcement of betraying the memory of their ancestors. Allegations suggest that Anderson then instructed fellow officers to use force against Shakir, resulting in the firing of hard-foam projectiles.
Civil rights attorney Carl Douglas, who represented Shakir in the lawsuit, expressed hope that the substantial damages awarded would serve as a clear message that acts of police violence would not be tolerated. The awarded sum is seen as a step towards holding law enforcement accountable for their actions. However, the verdict is still pending approval by the City Council.
The city attorney's office, represented by spokesperson Karen Richardson, refrained from commenting on the jury's decision. The LAPD similarly did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
During the trial, the defense utilized video evidence from a body camera and an Instagram livestream to reconstruct the events leading up to the incident. Shakir was struck by a hard-foam projectile not once, but twice. The first impact caused him to drop his phone, and while bending down to retrieve it, he was hit again, leading to injuries. As per the lawsuit, Shakir's hand injury necessitated a year-long period of physical therapy, and he continues to endure pain as a result.
In a startling revelation, an internal investigation within the LAPD uncovered that the deployment of less-lethal force, which resulted in Shakir's injury, had gone unreported. Attorney Carl Douglas highlighted this lack of accountability as indicative of a broader problem within the department.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of nationwide protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd, which ignited discussions about systemic racism, police brutality, and the misuse of force by law enforcement agencies. The jury's substantial award to Shakir underscores the growing demand for transparency, accountability, and change in how such matters are addressed within the criminal justice system.
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