Breaking News: LAPD hit with $24-million verdict in teen's shooting death

[Hissyspit]

Last edited Fri Dec 14, 2012, 10:18 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Los Angeles Times

LAPD hit with $24-million verdict in teen's shooting death

Los Angeles Times | December 14, 2012 | 5:07 PM
A jury Friday handed down a $24-million verdict against the Los Angeles Police Department in the shooting of a teenage boy who was playing with a replica gun.

The award is believed to be the largest sanction against the LAPD for a single event and perhaps the largest of any kind against the department. It comes as the LAPD is trying to stem the number of costly lawsuits brought against it.

For the latest information go to www.latimes.com

Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/12/lapd-24-million-verdict-teen-paralyzed.html

[azurnoir]

1. Link? n/t

[petronius]

2. Here's a more direct link:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/12/lapd-24-million-verdict-teen-paralyzed.html

[AnotherMcIntosh]

3. The physical evidence and eye-witnesses showed that the cop lied.

The kids, including the 13-year old, were playing cops-and-robbers. The witnesses said that it was glaringly apparent that he and the others were kids.

The boy's spinal injury and other injuries which established the trajectory showed that the cop lied about claiming that he and the boy had squared off before the shooting.

He "... claimed that the boy ignored repeated commands to come out from behind the van.

"When he finally complied, Abarca said, the person 'had both hands concealed within his sweatshirt and was bent slightly at the waist,' according to the LAPD’s internal investigation into the incident.

"Abarca said it was only then that he drew his service pistol and fired a single round when Gomez pulled what appeared to be a pistol from his waistband."

Prior to the trial, the Police Commission excused the shooting while saying in its report:

The toy '... was indistinguishable from a real firearm' and that 'reasonably, any officer in similar circumstances would be focused on the threat posed by the weapon and would not see the red tip on the end of the gun.' "

[BainsBane]

4. Good news, but please

Don't buy kids those replica guns. It's a very bad idea. Why risk their safety? If you must get them a play gun, have it shoot nerf balls.