L.A. filmmaker Benjamin Montemayor is suing LAPD for allegedly injuring him at a protest held in Hollywood last June following the killing of George Floyd.
Montemayor says officers shot him in the groin at close range with a 40 mm hard-foam projectile while he was peacefully protesting, rupturing his testicle.
Montemayor's attorney Dan Stormer says it was unprovoked attack that required immediate surgery:
"It is an act that the chief of police, Michel Moore, has determined to be 'in policy.' It is one of over 11,000 of these projectiles that were shot during the course of the protests."
The lawsuit alleges excessive force and civil rights violations. Stormer says the damages sought for surgery and emotional distress will be in the seven-figure range.
LAist has reached out to LAPD for comment, but has not yet heard back. The department has previously said that crowd control training has been provided to thousands of officers and command staff since the protests.
Stormer's office says you can see the shot officers fired at Montemayor in LAPD's body worn video footage below at the 4-minute, 32-second mark:
An independent report released last month found the LAPD was ill-prepared for the summer protests over the killing of George Floyd and that led to the improper use of force against peaceful protesters, as well as the unlawful detention of thousands of demonstrators.
