A Los Angeles jury has awarded $3.75 million in damages to Asim Jamal Shakir Jr. who was shot twice by less-lethal projectiles fired by the Los Angeles Police Department during anti-police demonstrations in 2020. This is believed to be one of the largest awards to date in lawsuits arising from the LAPD's response to these protests.
After 13 hours of deliberation, the jury's decision found that the LAPD was negligent when its officers fired the less-lethal devices at Shakir during a protest in downtown Los Angeles. Shakir, who had been filming the protest, recognized his LAPD officer uncle among the officers and confronted him. Moments later, Shakir alleges that his uncle directed other officers to fire the projectiles at him, resulting in injuries.
Shakir, who had to undergo physical therapy for a year due to his injuries, continues to suffer from both physical and emotional consequences. This case highlights ongoing concerns about the use of less-lethal force by police during protests and the need for accountability in such incidents.
An internal affairs investigation into the incident did not yield any officers admitting to the shooting, and the use of less-lethal force was not reported. Despite this, Shakir's legal team used video evidence to identify LAPD officer Robert Bechtol as one of the shooters.
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Link: LA Times
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