Los Angeles Police Brutality Attorney

Los Angeles Police Brutality Attorney

The state of California is known to provide several rights and protections to specific classes of people. For example, California outlaws discrimination based on someone’s ethnicity, gender, race, marital status, sexual orientation, religion.  Although there are several protections in place that prevent police brutality in Los Angeles, police brutality and misconduct still occur.

Our Los Angeles police brutality attorneys represent those who have had their civil rights taken advantage of by police officials and police departments. No one deserves to undergo a traumatic experience such as a police brutality incident. It could leave the victim physically and emotionally harmed. Our attorneys are here to help, and stand up against police department’s who have engaged in wrongful misconduct.

Wrongful misconduct by police officers is a very large concern in Los Angeles County. Our Los Angeles law firm pursues police brutality and misconduct cases, such as instances where police officials have abused their power.

Our attorneys are not afraid to speak up and fight for what’s right. If our attorneys are unable to reach a settlement agreement with the defendant, our aggressive attorneys are ready to take these civil rights cases to trial.

Los Angeles Police Brutality Statistics

• In Los Angeles County, 27% of people shot by police were African American, this is more than triple the amount of African Americans in the Los Angeles population
• 15% of people shot by police were White, and make up 26% of the Los Angeles community
• 54% of people shot by police were Latino, and make up 49% of the Los Angeles community
• 2% of the people shot by police were Asian, and make up 14% of the Los Angeles community

These statistics show that the use of force by the Los Angeles County Police Department are severe signs of abuse of power by some officers. For example, the Los Angeles Police Department can use types of force such as shooting, control holds, electric control devices, and physical contact in a single incident.

Although police do have the right to protect themselves from any harm during an incident, oftentimes, there are situations where the actions are wrongful and serve as an abuse of power.

If you have been involved in an incident with the Los Angeles Police Department where they have taken advantage of your civil rights, contact our attorneys today.

Who is liable for police brutality?

Those victims who have been involved in a police brutality incident will most likely be able to assert a civil rights violation against the police officer and the police department. Other than the criminal charges the police officer and police department may be facing, a civil rights lawsuit allows the victim to receive compensation for their injuries suffered.

The police department, the police officer, and the jurisdiction where the police department is located could all be potential defendants in the police brutality lawsuit.

Examples of Police Brutality In Los Angeles

• Malicious prosecution
• Misuse of power
• Abuse of power
• Failing to intervene
• Denying the suspect medical Care
• Denying the suspect their due process
• Wrongfully using attack dogs
• Sexual assault
• Rape
• Abuse of power that is motivated by racial discrimination
• Excessive force
• Misuse of weapons such as buttons and tasers

Almost all these instances mentioned above are considered to be deviations from practices of Los Angeles County Police Department. The Los Angeles Police Department has training guidelines in place that prevent the escalation and prevent substantial bodily injury or death. Unfortunately, many Los Angeles police officials declined to follow these guidelines in certain stressful situations.

How do you prove police brutality in Los Angeles?

Usually, in police brutality cases, the defendant, which will likely be the police officer and / or the police department, Will either plead guilty or defend themselves that the actions they took part in were lawful. It is illegal for a police officer to use more force than what is reasonably necessary.  The reasonableness of the force is based on the totality of the circumstances (the size of the suspect, whether the suspect was armed, where the location was, what the suspect was arrested for, etc.).

If the jury determines that the police officer used excessive force than necessary, the police officer and / or the police department could be held liable, and criminally charged. If the jury finds that the police officer acted reasonably considering the circumstances, the police officer and / or the police department will most likely not be held liable and will not be criminally charged.

That is why it is important to have an experienced Los Angeles police brutality attorney on your side to represent your rights. If you have an inexperienced police brutality attorney representing you, you could risk losing your entire case. Our experienced Los Angeles police brutality attorneys will gather as much evidence as possible to bring forth a civil rights violation claim against the police officer that engaged in the abuse of power.

Los Angeles Cities

According to a study done by the Los Angeles Times in 2020, there are certain cities in Los Angeles County that have experienced more police brutality than any other City. For example, the top three cities that have experienced excessive police force are Compton, Inglewood, and Long Beach. These three cities hold the most African American population compared to other cities in Los Angeles.

Police Brutality Injuries

Police brutality can lead to a variety of injuries to the victim. This includes instances of:

• Broken bones
• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Blindness
• Paralysis
• Death

What type of compensation could I receive from a police brutality lawsuit?

• Compensatory damages: these types of damages are those that can be easily calculated, such as medical treatments, hospital stays, surgical procedures, medications, and the need for physical therapy.
• Emotional distress: you could seek compensation for the emotional distress suffered as a result of the traumatic experience. This includes depression and anxiety.
• Punitive damages:  punitive damages in Los Angeles are not that common. Punitive damages are meant to make an example out of the defendant, and to prevent any incidences similar to this in the future. You could possibly receive punitive damages for police brutality if you’re able to show that the act was extreme. Contact our attorneys today to see if you could potentially qualify for punitive damages.