LOS ANGELES - The City of Los Angeles and 10 unidentified LAPD officers were called to federal court in an excessive force and battery accusation.
The complaint was filed on May 6 in the U.S. District Court for Central California by plaintiffs Mark Gould and MMG, plaintiff Gould's 16-year-old daughter.
According to the complaint, Gould allowed his daughter to participate in protests in Los Angeles following the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
MMG then allegedly witnessed her father being beaten by batons by the defendant unidentified LAPD officers when he arrived to pick her up from the protest. The officers had gathered to disband the peaceful protest and, according to the complaint, attacked Gould despite his compliance with their commands.
The plaintiffs complain that the batons, used by the LAPD for being "less lethal" weapons, are capable of serious bodily injury and death, in violation of the rights of Los Angeles citizens.
Gould and his daughter were then arrested without probable cause, according to the complaint.
The defendants are charged with violation of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, retaliation, unreasonable search and seizure, detention and arrest, excessive force, municipal liability, failure to train, ratification, battery, negligence, Bane Act violation and bystander negligence.
Los Angeles rejected the plaintiffs' claims.
The plaintiffs are represented by the Law Offices of Dale K. Galipo.