Attorneys Benjamin Crump and Bradley Gage have filed a $500 million class-action lawsuit against the city of Beverly Hills over alleged racial profiling. The lawsuit represents 1,086 Black individuals out of 1,088 who claim they were unjustly arrested by the Beverly Hills Police Department between August 30, 2019, and August 30, 2021. Notably, these arrests account for 34% of all arrests in Beverly Hills, even though African Americans make up less than 2% of the city's residents.
The attorneys argue that many of these arrests resulted from the city's Rodeo Drive Task Force. Aiming to crack down on fraudulent purchases in the high-end shopping district, the Rodeo Drive Task Force has faced complaints of primarily targeting Black individuals through racial profiling.
"It wasn't to deter crime. It was to send a message to Black people that we don't want your kind around here," said Crump at a news conference Monday outside the Beverly Hills Civic Center. "That is racial profiling 101!"
Gage noted that claims of racial profiling in Beverly Hills date back to 1995 and criticized the lack of significant change in addressing the issue, suggesting that the problem may have worsened over time.
Link: ABC7
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